weapon
Americannoun
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any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.
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anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim.
the deadly weapon of satire.
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Zoology. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an object or instrument used in fighting
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anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent
his power of speech was his best weapon
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any part of an animal that is used to defend itself, to attack prey, etc, such as claws, teeth, horns, or a sting
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a slang word for penis
Other Word Forms
- outweaponed adjective
- superweapon noun
- unweaponed adjective
- weaponed adjective
- weaponless adjective
Etymology
Origin of weapon
First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen; cognate with German Waffe, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wēpna (plural)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Sudanese military official told The Wall Street Journal that Sudan needs new weapons supplies, but that doing a deal with Russia might generate problems with the U.S. and European Union.
Patrick Kibbe said was wielded as a weapon: An umbrella that an investigator needed a special scale to weigh because it was less than one pound.
From Los Angeles Times
The BBC World Service has spoken to chemical weapons experts, whistleblowers from Georgia's riot police, and doctors, and found the evidence points to the use of an agent that the French military named "camite".
From BBC
The family said they were civilians, and had no weapons at their home.
From BBC
In contrast, Japanese and South Korean weapons makers saw their revenues increase, also driven by European demand.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
