weapon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An object such as a gun, knife, or sword used to fight or harm people.

   The police searched him for hidden weapons.

2. 2
   noun

   Something used as a means to gain control or an advantage over others.

   Information can be a powerful weapon in business.

3. 3
   verb

   To provide someone or something with a weapon; to arm.

   The rebels weaponed every man who could fight.

Common collocations

• deadly weapon Adjective + noun
• nuclear weapon Adjective + noun
• carry a weapon Verb + noun
• drop a weapon Verb + noun
• lethal weapon Adjective + noun
• draw a weapon Verb + noun
• brandish a weapon Verb + noun

From Middle English wepen, from Old English wǣpn, from Proto-West Germanic *wāpn, from Proto-Germanic *wēpną (“weapon”), of unknown origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wēbnom. Cognates Cognate with Scots weepon (“weapon”), North Frisian woopen (“weapon”), Saterland Frisian Woapen (“weapon”), West Frisian wapen (“weapon; coat of arms”), Alemannic German Waaffe (“tool”), Dutch wapen (“weapon”), German Waffe (“weapon”) and Wappen (“coat of arms”), Luxembourgish Waff (“weapon”), Yiddish וואָפֿן (vofn, “weapon”), Danish våben (“weapon; coat of arms”), Faroese vákn, vápn (“weapon; whaling lan…

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