From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishweaponweap‧on /ˈwepən/ ●●● W2 noun [countable] 1 PMWsomething that you use to fight with or attack someone with, such as a knife, bomb, or gun They all had sticks which they planned to use as weapons.2 WAY/METHODan action, piece of information, piece of equipment etc that you can use to win or be successful in doing something a new weapon in the fight against AIDS Right now, she felt the need of every weapon in her armoury (=weapon that she had), including surprise.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + weaponnuclear/atomic weaponsThe country is thought to be developing nuclear weapons.conventional weapons (=not nuclear)With conventional weapons, the destruction is not so drastic.chemical/biological weapons (=weapons that use chemicals such as poisonous gases, or dangerous germs)Troops may have been exposed to chemical weapons.an offensive weapon (=one that can be used to attack someone illegally)He was charged with carrying an offensive weapon.a lethal/deadly weapon (=one that can kill)A knife is a lethal weapon.the murder weapon (=the weapon used to kill someone)Police found a knife at the scene that is believed to be the murder weapon.an automatic weapon (=an automatic gun)He was shot 120 times with automatic weapons.verbscarry a weaponThe man is believed to be carrying a weapon.use a weaponThey claim the government used chemical weapons against them.fire a weapon (=shoot a gun or missile)Police were told not to fire their weapons.
Examples from the Corpus
weapon• He stopped short of making recommendations about weapons programs in his 90-minute meeting at the White House.• They wanted the Cossacks to be allowed to carry weapons to protect themselves.• They weren't carrying weapons, so Agnes assumed they were politicians.• The three men had blackened faces and were carrying weapons.• Everyone who looks upon it sees a different weapon.• During the early weeks of the 1968 Tet Offensive, the Duper was his weapon of choice.• Police are still looking for the murder weapon.• Police have not yet found the murder weapon.• No weapon was seen in the 12: 20 p.m. holdup.• Would not it be far better to seek an effective non-proliferation treaty than to go for a new generation of nuclear weapons?• a treaty to reduce the number of nuclear weapons• We will find the same lack of weapons in Cretan art, more than 10,000 years after the Palcolithic.• He was arrested by police and charged with carrying an offensive weapon.• Community rejection of gangs is a powerful weapon against them.• The men were finally persuaded to come out and hand over their weapons to the police.weapon in ... armoury• Paula of Avila sprouted a particularly fetid growth as a weapon in her armoury.• Secrecy is a weapon in the political armoury of bureaucracy.• Right now she felt the need of every weapon in the armoury, including surprise.• The horses are the most feared weapon in the police armoury on the picket line and they are very effective.• But perhaps the main weapon in the Walsh armoury is his intelligent change of pace.• Surprise Physical muscle is not the only weapon in your armoury.• It was still the strongest weapon in my armoury but this time I added two pounds of black treacle to the mixture.• They have three weapons in their armoury.Origin weapon Old English wæpen 