weapon
Americannoun
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any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.
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anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim.
the deadly weapon of satire.
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Zoology. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an object or instrument used in fighting
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anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent
his power of speech was his best weapon
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any part of an animal that is used to defend itself, to attack prey, etc, such as claws, teeth, horns, or a sting
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a slang word for penis
Other Word Forms
- outweaponed adjective
- superweapon noun
- unweaponed adjective
- weaponed adjective
- weaponless adjective
Etymology
Origin of weapon
First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen; cognate with German Waffe, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wēpna (plural)
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.
Flexing its muscle at times of tension, Beijing has restricted exports of critical minerals used in products from microchips and wind turbines to electric car batteries and weapons systems.
From Barron's
Energy underwrites the ability of U.S. industry to produce weapons and the capability of the U.S. military to use them.
Once law enforcement identifies the man’s specific clothing, weapon, and the carry holster, it may trigger someone’s memory and generate a vital tip, Vernon said.
From Los Angeles Times
Germany is one of Ukraine's key backers; it is the biggest supplier of weapons to Kyiv in Europe and a major diplomatic ally.
From Barron's
It has deprived him of his preferred weapon of economic pressure just weeks before he lands in Beijing for a summit with the Chinese leader.
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.
