weapon
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.an object used for fighting, attacking, or defending yourself, such as a gun, knife, or sword.
n.an instrument designed or used for inflicting physical bodily harm or for defensive combat.
Simple“The police found a hidden weapon in the suspect's car during the search.”
In context“The treaty strictly prohibits the transport of chemical weapons across international borders to prevent further escalation of the conflict.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something used to hurt someone's reputation or to gain power over them.
n.a means of exerting pressure, harming a reputation, or gaining a strategic advantage over an opponent.
Simple“The politician used the scandal as a weapon against his rival.”
In context“In modern corporate negotiations, information is often the most potent weapon a company can possess.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is very annoying, stupid, or embarrassing.
n.a derogatory term for an individual perceived as incompetent, foolish, or socially inept.
Simple“He made a total weapon of himself by shouting in the quiet library.”
In context“The manager was acting like a complete weapon during the briefing, making several basic errors that embarrassed the entire team.”
Teacher's tipCommon in British and Irish English; it is an insult that suggests the person is useless or a 'tool'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.someone who is incredibly good at what they do.
n.a person or object of exceptional capability, power, or effectiveness.
Simple“Our new striker is an absolute weapon on the football pitch.”
In context“With his analytical speed and deep industry knowledge, the lead consultant proved to be a secret weapon during the merger talks.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to give someone a weapon or to prepare a tool for fighting.
v.to equip a person, group, or vehicle with weaponry.
Simple“The soldiers were weaponed and ready for the mission at dawn.”
In context“The government faced criticism for weaponing local militias without providing adequate oversight or training.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Usage weapons of mass
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 lance”), Icelandic vopn (“weapon”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk våpen (“weapon”), Swedish vapen (“weapon; coat of arms”), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐍀𐌽 (wēpn, “weapon”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.