weapon

noun weap·on \ ˈwe-pən \

Definition of weapon

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

2 :a means of contending against another

See weapon defined for English-language learners

See weapon defined for kids

Examples of weapon in a Sentence

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 of weapon from the Web

The officer said his weapon was on the hood of his personal vehicle.

— staff report, Daily Southtown, "Police: Off-duty Chicago cop involved in fatal shooting in Hazel Crest," 30 Aug. 2017
Museum Executive Director Shawn Gladden said other artifacts in the exhibit include letters from Union soldiers who were county residents and weapons and other items used by both Union and Confederate soldiers.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "Where did it come from? The history of Howard County’s Confederate monument," 28 Aug. 2017
ESPN reports Edelman tore an ACL, so the Patriots' high-powered offense will be without a potent weapon.

— paul doyle, courant.com, "On The Fly: Patriots Deep, But Edelman Loss Hurts," 26 Aug. 2017
Jones, who also uses the name Hearn, was booked on a warrant for probation violation from a 2016 case involving a deadly weapon, Nelson said.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fugitive from pursuit, officer-involved shooting arrested in Lemon Grove," 25 Aug. 2017
The deputy reportedly demanded Jacobs to drop the weapon more than 30 times.

— charlotteobserver, "DA: Burke County deputy acted lawfully in shooting of man holding CO2 pistol," 24 Aug. 2017
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono offered a different view, saying pressure, not talks, is needed to push North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

— hyung-jin kim, The Seattle Times, "As NKorea vows response, US dismisses calls to pause drills," 22 Aug. 2017
America's potential adversaries, realizing the U.S. military's dependence on the system for everything from daily navigation to weapons targeting, have been working to devise ways to jam or spoof GPS signals.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "No, the USS McCain Wasn't a Victim of GPS Spoofing," 21 Aug. 2017
As Powe turned and put away his weapon, Tone pulled out his own .45-caliber handgun and fired it multiple times.

— john diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of weapon

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

weapon

verb

Definition of weapon

transitive verb

:arm

Recent Examples of weapon from the Web

Weapon down the field and in the back-shoulder game.’’ Those are among the attributes that drew the interest of then-UW coach Steve Sarkisian, who made Stringfellow a priority for the team’s recruiting class of 2013.

— bob condotta, The Seattle Times, "From Super Bowl fight to Seahawks draft pick? Once-troubled Huskies receiver ready to change minds," 26 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of weapon

before 12th century

WEAPON Defined for English Language Learners

weapon

noun

Definition of weapon for English Language Learners

: 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