weapon

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weap·on

(wĕp′ən)

1. An instrument of attack or defense in combat, as a gun, missile, or sword.

2. Zoology A part or organ, such as a claw or stinger, used by an animal in attack or defense.

3. A means used to defend against or defeat another: Logic was her weapon.

tr.v. weap·oned, weap·on·ing, weap·ons

To supply with weapons or a weapon; arm.

[Middle English wepen, from Old English wǣpen.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

weapon

(ˈwɛpən)

1. (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) an object or instrument used in fighting

2. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) an object or instrument used in fighting

3. anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent: his power of speech was his best weapon.

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

5. (Anatomy) a slang word for penis

[Old English wǣpen; related to Old Norse vápn, Old Frisian wēpen, Old High German wāffan]

ˈweaponed adj

ˈweaponless adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

weap•on

(ˈwɛp ən)

n.

1. any instrument or device used for attack or defense in a fight or in combat.

2. anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim: the weapon of satire.

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

v.t.

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

[before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen, c. Old Saxon wāpan, Old High German wāf(f)an, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wepna (pl.)]

weap′oned, adj.

weap′on•less, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	weapon - any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting; "he was licensed to carry a weapon" weapon system, arm bow - a weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow bow and arrow - a weapon consisting of arrows and the bow to shoot them brass knuckles, brass knucks, knuckle duster, knuckles, knucks - a small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand fire ship - a weapon consisting of a ship carrying explosives that is set adrift to destroy enemy ships flamethrower - a weapon that squirts ignited fuel for several yards gun - a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel) instrument - a device that requires skill for proper use knife - a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point light arm - a rifle or pistol missile - a rocket carrying a warhead of conventional or nuclear explosives; may be ballistic or directed by remote control pike - medieval weapon consisting of a spearhead attached to a long pole or pikestaff; superseded by the bayonet projectile, missile - a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled slasher - a weapon (a sword or dagger) used for slashing sling - a simple weapon consisting of a looped strap in which a projectile is whirled and then released lance, spear, shaft - a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon stun baton, stun gun - a weapon designed to disable a victim temporarily by delivering a nonlethal high-voltage electric shock sword, steel, blade, brand - a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard hatchet, tomahawk - weapon consisting of a fighting ax; used by North American Indians W.M.D., weapon of mass destruction, WMD - a weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons) arms, implements of war, munition, weaponry, weapons system - weapons considered collectively Greek fire - a mixture used by Byzantine Greeks that was often shot at adversaries; catches fire when wetted
	2.	weapon - a means of persuading or arguing; "he used all his conversational weapons" artillery persuasion, suasion - the act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action

weapon

Quotations
"The only arms I allow myself to use, silence, exile, and cunning" [James Joyce A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]
"Our swords shall play the orators for us" [Christopher Marlowe Tamburlaine the Great]
"Weapons are like money; no one knows the meaning of enough" [Martin Amis Einstein's Monsters]

see bombs, guns, missiles, swords and other weapons with blades, types of club

Weapons

Projectile weapons ballista, bazooka, blowpipe, catapult, crossbow, fléchette, grapeshot, gun, longbow, onager, quarrel, rifle grenade, torpedo, trebuchet or trebucket

Miscellaneous weapons biological warfare, bomb, chemical warfare, club, death ray, flame-thrower, germ warfare or bacteriological warfare, Greek fire, knuckle-duster, Mace (trademark), mustard gas, napalm, poison gas

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

سِلاحسلاح

оръжие

zbraň

våben

Waffe Schusswaffe

όπλο

armilo

arma

relv

سلاح

ase

arme

נשק

हथियार

oružje

fegyver

vopn

arma

武器

무기

arma

ginklas

ierocisieroči

armă

orožje

vapen

silaha

อาวุธ

silahsilâh

vũ khí

武器

weapon

[ˈwepən]

A. N → arma f

B. CPD weapons of mass destruction NPL → armas fpl de destrucción masiva
weapons testing N → pruebas fpl con armas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

weapon

[ˈwɛpən] n

(military) → arme f

(= resource) → arme f

weapon

n (lit, fig) → Waffe f; weapons of mass destruction → Massenvernichtungswaffen pl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

weapon

[ˈwɛpən] n → arma

weapon

(ˈwepən) noun

any instrument or means which is used for one's own defence or for attacking others. Rifles, arrows, atom bombs and tanks are all weapons; The police are looking for the murder weapon; Surprise is our best weapon.

weapon

→ سِلاح zbraň våben Waffe όπλο arma ase arme oružje arma 武器 무기 wapen våpen broń arma оружие vapen อาวุธ silah vũ khí 武器

weapon

n arma; biologic — arma biológica; chemical — arma química

References in classic literature ?

Perhaps YOU would be good enough to suggest a weapon? Perhaps you have even had one in your mind all the time?"

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If he had followed up his advantage he would have had Mohammed Beyd at his mercy in another moment; but instead he tugged at his revolver to draw it from its holster, and Fate ordained that at that particular moment the weapon should stick in its leather scabbard.

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But I know why you do not try it--it is because you have spoken lies; your weapon will not kill at a great distance.

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Thereby the weapon is instantly at hand to its hurler, who snatches it up as readily from its rest as a backwoodsman swings his rifle from the wall.

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suppose this weapon to be six times stronger and the animal ten times more powerful; launch it at the rate of twenty miles an hour, and you obtain a shock capable of producing the catastrophe required.

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``If thou best a miller,'' answered Gurth, undauntedly, making his weapon play around his head with equal dexterity, ``thou art doubly a thief, and I, as a true man, bid thee defiance.''

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To the defenders of the laws of Copernicus and Newton, to Voltaire for example, it seemed that the laws of astronomy destroyed religion, and he utilized the law of gravitation as a weapon against religion.

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This is the first tournament under the new law, whidh allow each combatant to use any weapon he may pre- fer.

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Several of the blacks saw her and tried to intercept her flight, but the menace of the empty weapon kept them at a distance.

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The crew fought desperately with knives, handspikes, and whatever weapon they could seize upon in the moment of surprise.

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The duello with its stately etiquette had not yet come into vogue, but rough and sudden encounters were as common as they must ever be when hot-headed youth goes abroad with a weapon strapped to its waist.

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"I seem to have read that a sawed-off shotgun is a weapon used in some parts of America.