armory
Americannoun
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a storage place for weapons and other war equipment.
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a building that is the headquarters and drill center of a military unit.
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a place where arms and armor are made; an armorer's shop; arsenal.
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Heraldry. the art of blazoning arms.
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arms or armor collectively.
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Archaic. heraldic bearings or arms.
noun
Etymology
Origin of armory
1300–50; Middle English armerie, armur ( i ) e < Middle French armoierie, equivalent to Old French armoi ( er ) to bear arms (derivative of armes arm 2 ) + -erie -ery
Explanation
An armory is a special military building where weapons and ammunition are kept. In the old days, when an army needed more cannon balls, it would retrieve them from an armory. An armory is an important part of a military's assets, since it stores arms and equipment and is also sometimes the place where soldiers are trained to use them. Another way to use the noun armory is to refer to a stockpile or stash of non-military goods. You might talk about, for example, your armory of cupcake recipes or your armory of perfectly sharpened pencils. The Latin root, arma, means "weapons."
Vocabulary lists containing armory
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom
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1-2-3 Scream!
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Dread Nation
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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.
His band quickly took control of a federal armory and rifle factory in the sleeping town of Harpers Ferry.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
“He has an armory, handcuffs, cars, and money to run his programs.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
At one point, Sandoval remembered watching a deputy open the trunk of an SUV filled with AR-15s rescued from the armory.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025
He began to experience migraines, dizziness and confusion, to such a degree that his job of keeping accurate counts of weapons in his unit’s armory became a struggle.
From New York Times • May 2, 2024
Once off the main corridors, Gale and I race like schoolchildren for the armory, and by the time we arrive, I’m breathless and dizzy.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
