Word Study
weapon
CIDE DICTIONARY
weapon, n. [OE. wepen, AS. w; akin to OS. w, OFries. w, w, D. wapen, G. waffe, OHG. waffan, wāfan, Icel. vāpn, Dan. vaaben, Sw. vapen, Goth. w, pl.; of uncertain origin. Cf. Wapentake.].
- An instrument of offensive of defensive combat; something to fight with; anything used, or designed to be used, in destroying, defeating, or injuring an enemy, as a gun, a sword, etc. [1913 Webster]"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." [1913 Webster]"They, astonished, all resistance lost,
All courage; down their idle weapons dropped." [1913 Webster] - Fig.: The means or instrument with which one contends against another; as, argument was his only weapon. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- A thorn, prickle, or sting with which many plants are furnished. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
weapon, n.
1 a thing designed or used or usable for inflicting bodily harm (e.g. a gun or cosh).
2 a means employed for trying to gain the advantage in a conflict (irony is a double-edged weapon).
1 a thing designed or used or usable for inflicting bodily harm (e.g. a gun or cosh).
2 a means employed for trying to gain the advantage in a conflict (irony is a double-edged weapon).
Derivative
weaponed adj. (also in comb.). weaponless adj.
Etymology
OE w{aelig}p(e)n f. Gmc
THESAURUS
weapon
A-weapons, armament, arms, biological weapons, conventional weapons, cutting edge, deadly weapons, edge, edge tool, featheredge, instruments of destruction, knife-edge, missilery, munitions, musketry, nuclear weapons, ordnance, razor-edge, side arms, small arms, thermonuclear weapons, weaponry, weaponsROGET THESAURUS
weapon
Arms
N arm, arms, weapon, deadly weapon, armament, armaments, armature, panoply, stand of arms, armor, armory, apparatus belli, ammunition, powder, powder and shot, cartridge, ball cartridge, cartouche, fireball, villainous saltpeter, dumdum bullet, explosive, gunpowder, guncotton, mercury fulminate, picrates, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, PETN, high explosive, trinitrotoluene, TNT, dynamite, melinite, cordite, lyddite, plastic explosive, plastique, pyroxyline, sword, saber, broadsword, cutlass, falchion, scimitar, cimeter, brand, whinyard, bilbo, glaive, glave, rapier, skean, Toledo, Ferrara, tuck, claymore, adaga, baselard, Lochaber ax, skean dhu, creese, kris, dagger, dirk, banger, poniard, stiletto, stylet, dudgeon, bayonet, sword-bayonet, sword-stick, side arms, foil, blade, steel, ax, bill, pole-ax, battle-ax, gisarme, halberd, partisan, tomahawk, bowie knife, ataghan, attaghan, yataghan, yatacban, assagai, assegai, good sword, trusty sword, naked sword, cold steel, club, mace, truncheon, staff, bludgeon, cudgel, life preserver, shillelah, sprig, hand staff, quarter staff, bat, cane, stick, knuckle duster, billy, blackjack, sandbag, waddy, gun, piece, firearms, artillery, ordnance, siege train, battering train, park, battery, cannon, gun of position, heavy gun, field piece, mortar, howitzer, carronade, culverin, basilisk, falconet, jingal, swivel, pederero, bouche a feu, petard, torpedo, mitrailleur, mitrailleuse, infernal machine, smooth bore, rifled cannon, Armstrong gun, Lancaster gun, Paixhan gun, Whitworth gun, Parrott gun, Krupp gun, Gatling gun, Maxim gun, machine gun, pompom, ten pounder, small arms, musket, musketry, firelock, fowling piece, rifle, fusil, caliver, carbine, blunderbuss, musketoon, Brown Bess, matchlock, harquebuss, arquebus, haguebut, pistol, postolet, petronel, small bore, breach-loader, muzzle-loader, revolver, repeater, Minis rifle, Enfield rifle, Flobert rifle, Westley Richards rifle, Snider rifle, Martini-Henry rifle, Lee-Metford rifle, Lee-Enfield rifle, Mauser rifle, magazine rifle, needle gun, chassepot, wind gun, air gun, automatic gun, automatic pistol, escopet, escopette, gunflint, gun- lock, hackbut, shooter, shooting iron, six-shooter, shotgun, Uzzi, assault rifle, Kalashnikov, bow, crossbow, balister, catapult, sling, battering ram, gunnery, ballistics, missile, bolt, projectile, shot, ball, grape, grape shot, canister shot, bar shot, cannon shot, langrel shot, langrage shot, round shot, chain shot, balista, ballista, slung shot, trebucbet, trebucket, bullet, slug, stone, brickbat, grenade, shell, bomb, carcass, rocket, congreve, congreve rocket, shrapnel, mitraille, levin bolt, levin brand, thunderbolt, pike, lance, spear, spontoon, javelin, dart, jereed, jerid, arrow, reed, shaft, bolt, boomerang, harpoon, gaff, eelspear, oxgoad, weet-weet, wommerah, cattle prod, chemical mace, en flute, nervos belli pecuniam infinitam.For further exploring for "weapon" in Webster Dictionary Online
