weapon

American  

[wep-uhn] / ˈwɛp ən /

noun

weapons plural

1. any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.

2. anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim.

   the deadly weapon of satire.

3. Zoology. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.

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verb (used with object)

1. to supply or equip with a weapon or weapons.

   to weapon aircraft with heat-seeking missiles.

weapon British  

/ ˈwɛpən /

noun

1. an object or instrument used in fighting

2. anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent

   his power of speech was his best weapon

3. any part of an animal that is used to defend itself, to attack prey, etc, such as claws, teeth, horns, or a sting

4. a slang word for penis

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superweapon
  noun
• outweaponed
  adjective
• unweaponed
  adjective
• weaponed
  adjective
• weaponless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• weapons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of weapon

First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen; cognate with German Waffe, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wēpna (plural)

Explanation

A weapon is something used to hurt someone. Soldiers use weapons like guns and even sometimes use "weapons of mass destruction" — like bombs. In school, the only weapon you should use is a spitball. A solider engaging in battle needs a weapon, as does a police officer defending herself against a violent attacker. Some weapons are specially designed for killing or injuring, such as guns and crossbows, while in other cases an ordinary object, like a stick, can be used as a weapon. The Old English root is wæpen, "instrument of fighting or defense." The spelling is tricky, and most people just have to memorize the ea in weapon.

Example Sentences

You can see his long distribution is superb, which England used as a weapon in Mexico - it led to one of the goals.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026

"The agency whose officers fired the weapon cannot be the agency that controls the narrative and the evidence at the same time," the groups CEO, Juan Proano, said.

From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026

The equal protection clause was written to provide a powerful weapon against entrenched prejudice.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2026

As direct relationships develop, the weapon becomes, in a way, a subscription service rather than an object, constantly updated and redesigned to fit changing battlefield conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Booth chose as his primary weapon a .44 caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading pistol manufactured by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• cannon
• firearm
• gun
• knife
• machete
• machine gun
• missile
• nerve gas
• pistol
• revolver
• rifle
• shotgun
• sword
• tear gas