weapon

1 of 2

noun

weap·​on ˈwe-pən 

1

: something (such as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

2

: a means of contending against another

weapon

2 of 2

verb

weaponed; weaponing; weapons

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Putin's announcement came as the Biden administration announced $375 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including air-to-ground weapons, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024

Russian military doctrine allows for the use of smaller, tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024

Verb

This interoperability unifies the fragmented gaming ecosystem, enabling a character or weapon to move seamlessly from one game. —Sandy Carter, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

Mohammed eventually pleaded to weapon possession and was sentenced to five years probation in November 2020, authorities said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 18 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing weapon

• assault weapon
• beam weapon
• biological weapon
• chemical weapon
• murder weapon
• weapon of last resort
• weapon of mass destruction

Kids Definition

weapon

noun

weap·​on

ˈwep-ən

1

: something (as a gun, knife, or club) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

2

: something with which one fights or struggles against another