ammo
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ammo
Explanation
Ammo is a shorthand way to say "ammunition," meaning bullets, gunpowder, and other combat supplies. A war movie might include a scene of soldiers running low on ammo. Ammo generally refers to a supply of the actual munitions, or exploding substances and projectiles that are put in guns, cannons, and other weapons. A gun without ammo won't actually shoot. This colloquial form of ammunition was first used around 1917, and both are rooted in the Middle French phrase la munition, "fortification" or "defense."
Vocabulary lists containing ammo
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.
Press reports say it was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov transport plane loaded with military ammo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
That's not going to give me any ammo.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
“Predator” is prime Reagan-era action propaganda, closely associating male potency with guns and their firepower, daring to counter that gospel by reminding its audience of how soft humans are once the ammo runs out.
From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2025
UCLA, which has a significant weapons inventory compared to other campuses — among it 39,500 rifle rounds and ammo — made relatively few requests, including four new pepper-ball launchers and 100 sponge foam rounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2025
They went about three meters, hit a patch of mud, and went sliding into some crates of ammo.
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
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