ammunition

[am-yuh-nish-uhn]

noun

1. the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon, as bombs or rockets, and especially shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.

2. the means of igniting or exploding such material, as primers, fuzes, and gunpowder.

3. any material, means, weapons, etc., used in any conflict.

   a crude ammunition of stones.

4. information, advice, or supplies to help defend or attack a viewpoint, argument, or claim.

   Give me some ammunition for the debate.

5. Obsolete.,  any military supplies.

ammunition

/ ˌæmjʊˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. any projectiles, such as bullets, rockets, etc, that can be discharged from a weapon

2. bombs, missiles, chemicals, biological agents, nuclear materials, etc, capable of use as weapons

3. any means of defence or attack, as in an argument

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammunition¹

1620–30; < Middle French amonitions, amunitions (plural) military supplies ( a- a- ⁵ + munition < Latin; munition ), or < French la munition, wrongly analyzed as l'amunition

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammunition¹

C17: from obsolete French amunition, by mistaken division from earlier la munition; see _munition

Example Sentences

Following those incidents, the court was told, members of the Rico OCG discussed obtaining a gun and ammunition to "send a message to their rivals".

Read more on BBC

It added that the plant "produces gunpowder, explosives and rocket fuel components used in ammunition and missiles employed by the enemy to shell the territory of Ukraine".

Read more on BBC

The military event involving live ammunition being fired over the freeway is directed by the White House, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr al-Muhtadi sent messages asking others to bring a bulletproof vest for another man and ammunition, prosecutors allege.

Read more on BBC

If anyone has a hard time understanding that, they could take a look at the Presbyterian minister shot in the head with “non-lethal” ammunition while protesting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• ammo 
• armament 
• bomb 
• bullet 
• cartridge 
• chemical 
• explosive 
• gunpowder 
• materiel 
• missile 
• munition 
• napalm 
• rocket 
• shrapnel 
• torpedo