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

• warehouse
• depot
• arsenal

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

The government is moving to curtail the indirect supply chains that help build Russia's armory. —Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025

Yet could a new coalition of European confederates actually produce a nuclear stockpile capable of containing Russia, which holds the planet’s most colossal atomic armory? —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

The day before the armory was officially completed and opened, the main floor and auditorium had been reserved for 16 nights out of the month of February by different organizations. —Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Decker's children were allegedly heard crying over the phone with their mother during an overnight trip with their father at the Wenatchee armory, according to court records. —Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025

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

Rhymes for armory

• armoury
• gendarmerie

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