ammunition

[am-yuh-nish-uh n]

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noun

the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon, as bombs or rockets, and especially shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.

the means of igniting or exploding such material, as primers, fuzes, and gunpowder.

any material, means, weapons, etc., used in any conflict: a crude ammunition of stones.

information, advice, or supplies to help defend or attack a viewpoint, argument, or claim: Give me some ammunition for the debate.

Obsolete. any military supplies.

Origin of ammunition

1620–30; < Middle French amonitions, amunitions (plural) military supplies (a- a-⁵ + munition < Latin; see munition), or < French la munition, wrongly analyzed as l'amunition

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ammunition

armament, bomb, bullet, cartridge, rocket, materiel, missile, chemical, explosive, shrapnel, torpedo, gunpowder, ammo, napalm, shell, shot, fuse, grenade, charge

Examples from the Web for ammunition

Contemporary Examples of ammunition

It was with this ammunition that Australians organized protests at events where Blanc was scheduled to appear.
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc
Brandy Zadrozny
December 1, 2014
When Louise and Bibi returned to their home, they found it strewn with ammunition and pockmarked with mortar craters.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
A burly Belgian, strapped with grenades and ammunition, towered above them.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
When we asked about where the ammunition in the Korengal came from, all that Zalwar Khan ever said was, “They came from Allah.”
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley
Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman
November 15, 2014
The battalion also is short of ammunition, Sergei says, but he insists he would still like to return to battle.
Corruption Eats Away at Ukraine Military
Charles McPhedran
October 21, 2014

Historical Examples of ammunition

They had also taken the two available guns, and nearly all the ammunition.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
You will take all arms and ammunition for the use of our service.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James
I'm not sure that it would shoot if I had ammunition, but I'd like to try.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Indents had to be made out for transport, rations and ammunition.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
In your husband's box, ammunition takes the place of toilet articles.
A Woman Tenderfoot
Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for ammunition

ammunition

noun

any projectiles, such as bullets, rockets, etc, that can be discharged from a weapon

bombs, missiles, chemicals, biological agents, nuclear materials, etc, capable of use as weapons

any means of defence or attack, as in an argument

Word Origin for ammunition

C17: from obsolete French amunition, by mistaken division from earlier la munition; see munition

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ammunition

1620s, from French soldiers' faulty separation of Middle French la munition into l'ammunition; from Latin munitionem (nominative munitio) "a fortifying" (see munition), and at first meaning all military supplies in general. The mistake in the word perhaps was by influence of French a(d)monition "warning." The error was corrected in French (Modern French munition), but retained in English.