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

Its officials, though, have increasingly threatened to pursue a nuclear weapon. —CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025

Major negative factors include Iran’s greater nuclear weapon capabilities, its shorter time frames to build nuclear weapons, and the growing normalization of internal Iranian discussions favoring building nuclear weapons. —Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Verb

Challengers of the rule, which included gun manufacturers and individual gun owners, contended the 1968 Gun Control Act didn't apply to weapon parts kits and that the administrative action was an overreach. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2025

New England did make one wide receiver addition, bringing in former Buffalo Bills weapon Mack Hollins. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025

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