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

The New York Times reported in February that American intelligence agencies have concluded that Iran is exploring a faster, if cruder, approach to developing an atomic weapon if its leadership decides to race for a bomb. —David E. Sanger, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025

Tian allegedly gathered the materials, which included technical manuals and information about U.S. military weapons systems, and gave them to Duan in exchange for money, the Justice Department said. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025

Verb

Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes destroyed multiple military installations, including fighter jets and weapon caches across Syria. —Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 23 Jan. 2025

The ghost can't speak, and can only confirm whether a player has guessed the right person, place, or weapon with a knock. —WIRED, 9 Oct. 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