chemical warfare

American  

[kem-i-kuhl wawr-fair] / ˈkɛm ɪ kəl ˈwɔrˌfɛər /

noun

1. warfare with poisonous, asphyxiating, or corrosive gases, oil flames, etc. CW

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chemical warfare British  

noun

1. warfare in which chemicals other than explosives are used as weapons, esp warfare using asphyxiating or nerve gases, poisons, defoliants, etc

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chemical warfare Cultural  

1. The use of chemical agents as a weapon of war or terror. From the mustard gas used in World War I to the highly lethal neurotoxin Sarin that is potentially available for use today, chemicals are considered a weapon of mass destruction, and their use is condemned by most civilized nations.

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Etymology

Origin of chemical warfare

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The Halas group has been developing aluminum nanoparticles for plasmonic photocatalysis reactions such as decomposition of dangerous chemical warfare agents and efficient production of commodity chemicals.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

The U.S.' stockpile of chemical warfare agents reached nearly 40,000 tons by 1968, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Reuters • Jul. 7, 2023

“So I think it was in part due to the chemical warfare, if you will,” Dr. Froines said.

From Washington Post • Jul. 15, 2022

“It’s a war of narratives,” Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet diplomat who negotiated arms-control treaties, said of Ukraine and Russia, which have each accused the other of preparing for chemical warfare.

From New York Times • May 4, 2022

Today we often think of biological and chemical warfare as modern inventions.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz