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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the ground test of an upgraded rocket engine, state media reported on Sunday, marking another key step in its weapons programme.
From Barron's
But trade with China, much of it through Dandong, is a key lifeline for North Korea's moribund economy, under UN sanctions because of its nuclear weapons programme.
From Barron's
The only justification, they calculated, would be an imminent threat, especially information that Iran was close to creating a nuclear weapon.
From BBC
They said it handled "the research, development, and production of a wide range of naval weaponry, including surface and sub-surface vessels, manned and unmanned equipment, as well as engines and weapons".
From Barron's
Inside the army, commercial exports of weapons at a time of war present an ethical dilemma.
From Barron's
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.
