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Weapon vs Arms - What's the difference?

weapon | arms |

As nouns the difference between weapon and arms

is that weapon is an instrument of attack or defense in combat or hunting, e.g. most guns, missiles, or swords while arms is plural of lang=en.

As a verb arms is

third-person singular of arm.

weapon

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An instrument of attack or defense in combat or hunting, e.g. most guns, missiles, or swords.
  • :
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.
  • An instrument or other means of harming or exerting control over another.
  • :
  • *
  • *:“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons  ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=January 15, author=Phil Dawkes, work=BBC
  • , title= Stoke 2-0 Bolton , passage=Rory Delap's long throw-ins are a familiar weapon to the Potters' opponents but this does not make them any easier to defend against.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * ADW * assault weapon * ATGW * atomic weapon * AWB * biological weapon * biological-weapon * bioweapon * chemical weapon * cold weapon * conventional weapon * crew-served weapon * cyberweapon * doomsday weapon * murder weapon * nonweapon * nuclear weapon * NWIP * NWS * radiological-weapon * radiological weapon * ranged weapon * section automatic weapon * siege weapon * space weapon * squad automatic weapon * superweapon * superweaponry * thermonuclear weapon * weapon of mass destruction * weaponed * weaponeer * weaponization * weaponize * weapons free * weapons-grade * weapons hold * weapons tight * weaponsmith * WMD

    arms

    English

    Etymology 1

    See arm.

    Noun

    (head)
  • We laid down on the snowbank and moved our arms up and down to make snow angels.

    Etymology 2

    13th Century, from (etyl) armes, (etyl) arma .

    Noun

    (en-plural noun)
  • (pluralonly) Weapons.
  • * 1883 ,
  • The next thing I laid hold of was a brace of pistols, and as I already had a powder horn and bullets, I felt myself well supplied with arms .
  • (heraldry) Synonym for coat of arms.
  • The Duke's arms were a sable gryphon rampant on an argent field.
  • English plurals
  • Usage notes
    * Capitalized, the word is often used in the names of pubs, taverns and the like.

    Verb

    (head)
  • (arm)
  • If the Duke arms himself for war, the king will not sit by idly!

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