ENGLISH
REFERENCE

arsenal

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɑɹsənəɫ// UK //ˈɑːsənəl// ar·se·nal

n. a collection of weapons or a place where they are kept. You can also use it to describe a wide range of skills or tools you have to solve a problem.

n. a collection of weapons and military equipment, or an establishment for the manufacture or storage of such items. Figuratively, it refers to the entire range of resources or skills available to a person or group.


SIMPLE

The country is slowly reducing its nuclear arsenal.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer used every legal trick in her arsenal to win the difficult case.

COMPLEX

While the city's historic arsenal now serves as a museum, it remains a stark reminder of the region's strategic importance during the nineteenth-century border conflicts.

Synonyms
Origin

From Italian arsenale, from Arabic دَار الصِّنَاعَة (dār aṣ-ṣināʕa, “manufacturing shop”), from دَار (dār) + صِنَاعَة (ṣināʕa).

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'in' when referring to a figurative collection of skills.

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