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

Washington has sent Kyiv more than $66 billion in weapons; enacted a list of sanctions on the Russian economy; and helped the G-7 push through an unprecedented price-cap scheme meant to limit Russian oil revenues—all in the hope Moscow would sue for peace. —Daniel Depetris, Time, 7 Aug. 2025

If the soldier declines, a commander will typically step in and order that the weapons be confiscated. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Verb

Lobbing an anti-satellite, or counter-space, weapon into the same orbital plane as its potential target ties Russia's hands. —Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025

There are two basic types of nuclear fuel: plutonium, which is produced in reactors, and uranium, which is enriched to weapon grade in centrifuges. —Siegfried S. Hecker, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2017

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