definitions

arms race

noun

competition between countries to achieve superiority in quantity and quality of military arms.

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Nearby words

armpit, armrest, arms, arms and the man, arms control, arms race, armscye, armstand dive, armstrong, armstrong, louis, armure

Origin of arms race

First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for arms race

arms race

noun

the continuing competitive attempt by two or more nations each to have available to it more and more powerful weapons than the other(s)
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