armory

noun

ar·​mory ˈärm-rē 

ˈär-mə-

plural armories

1

a

: a supply of arms for defense or attack

b

: a collection of available resources

2

: a place where arms and military equipment are stored

especially : one used for training reserve military personnel

3

: a place where arms are manufactured

Did you know?

An armory has traditionally been a military storage compound where machine guns, rifles, pistols, ammunition, parts, and accessories are kept. In the U.S., National Guard and Reserve units often use armories as training headquarters in peacetime. Ever since George Washington established the country's first armory in Springfield in 1777, arsenals and armories of the Army Ordnance Corps have had a remarkable history of arms manufacture.

Synonyms

• arsenal
• depot
• dump
• magazine

Examples of armory in a Sentence

the site of a 19th-century armory

the soldier was sent to the armory to get a replacement weapon for the one that had been stolen

Recent Examples on the Web

High taxes, rising food prices, the aristocracy’s extravagant spending all fueled the discontent, which came to a head when 300 strong gathered at the Bastille, seizing weapons from the armory and demanding the release of prisoners. —Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2024

This castle looks like that one former armory building in Crown Heights. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 July 2024

On Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke said about 40 soldiers are deployed in Waterville to assist with sandbagging and water-pumping to hold back the city’s overflowing twin lakes, and the Guard is opening its armory in nearby Faribault as an emergency shelter for those displaced by flooding. —Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 25 June 2024

More:Organization behind Detroit fireworks seeks more time to buy old armory Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or [e-mail]. —Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 25 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armerie, armurie, armorye "armor and weapons, storehouse for weaponry, workshop in which weapons are made or repaired," borrowed from Anglo-French armurrie, from armure "arms, armor" + -ie -y entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

armory

noun

ar·​mory ˈärm-(ə-)rē 

plural armories

1

: a supply of weapons

2

: a place where arms are kept and where soldiers are often trained

3

: a place where arms are made