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weapon

noun
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weap·​on | \ ˈwe-pən How to pronounce weapon (audio) \

Definition of weapon

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something (such as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy
2 : a means of contending against another

weapon

verb
weaponed; weaponing; weapons

Definition of weapon (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: arm

Examples of weapon in a Sentence

Noun assault with a deadly weapon The pitcher's slider is his most effective weapon. a new weapon in the fight against cancer The mayor's campaign unleashed its secret weapon.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Grimes believe the surest, and perhaps the only, weapon against destruction is the narrow way of the Lord. — New York Times, "What the Church Meant for James Baldwin," 4 Dec. 2020 Reports did not specify if the suspect was armed or if a weapon was recovered. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, "Ohio store worker shoots suspect in attempted robbery," 20 Nov. 2020 Tonn claimed that the man was carrying a gun, but no weapon was found. — Shane Bauer, The New Yorker, "How a Deadly Police Force Ruled a City," 16 Nov. 2020 No one was injured and police said no weapon was recovered. — Dallas News, "Man taken to hospital after ‘erratic behavior’ on American Airlines flight to Philadelphia," 12 Nov. 2020 Police said a weapon was found next to his body, and an autopsy ruled his death a suicide. — Justin Fenton, baltimoresun.com, "Robert ‘Meech’ Tucker, prominent during Baltimore’s Freddie Gray uprising, dies," 9 Nov. 2020 Preliminary reports said a weapon was recovered from the scene, police said. — Deanese Williams-harris, chicagotribune.com, "2 dead, 13 wounded in overnight violence on South, West sides," 7 Nov. 2020 No suspect has been caught but a weapon has been recovered, according to police. — Sara Tabin, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Two people shot at Midvale grocery store," 7 Nov. 2020 The statement said Slack was wearing his police uniform, and that a weapon was found on the ground near where Rogers fell. — Katelyn Umholtz | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Shootout in Gentilly preceded officer firing gun, wounding one suspect, New Orleans police say," 7 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Another officer had a taser ready, while the third officer had no taser or weapon out, Fields added. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "Campus police in Texas stormed a dorm room after a false report was filed against a student, lawyer says," 30 Sep. 2020 Recent reports, though, have claimed rubber bullets are still being used, and tracking which weapons individual police departments use is difficult. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Everything to know about rubber bullets and their risks," 4 June 2020 Each crime fit the same modus operandi including the suspect’s build and weapon description, the report said. — John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston police arrest suspect in 24 armed robberies," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weapon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of weapon

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for weapon

Noun

Middle English wepen, from Old English wǣpen; akin to Old High German wāffan weapon, Old Norse vāpn

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Time Traveler for weapon

Time Traveler

The first known use of weapon was before the 12th century

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Statistics for weapon

Last Updated

6 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Weapon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weapon. Accessed 12 Dec. 2020.

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More Definitions for weapon

weapon

noun
How to pronounce weapon (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of weapon

: something (such as a gun, knife, club, or bomb) that is used for fighting or attacking someone or for defending yourself when someone is attacking you
: something (such as a skill, idea, or tool) that is used to win a contest or achieve something

See the full definition for weapon in the English Language Learners Dictionary

weapon

noun
weap·​on | \ ˈwe-pən How to pronounce weapon (audio) \

Kids Definition of weapon

: something (as a gun, knife, or club) to fight with

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More from Merriam-Webster on weapon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for weapon

Nglish: Translation of weapon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of weapon for Arabic Speakers

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