chemical warfare

[ kem-i-kuhl wawr-fair ]

noun
  1. warfare with poisonous, asphyxiating, or corrosive gases, oil flames, etc. Abbreviation: CW

Origin of chemical warfare

1
First recorded in 1915–20

Words Nearby chemical warfare

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How to use chemical warfare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chemical warfare

chemical warfare

noun
  1. warfare in which chemicals other than explosives are used as weapons, esp warfare using asphyxiating or nerve gases, poisons, defoliants, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for chemical warfare

chemical warfare

The use of chemical agents as a weapon of war or terror. From the mustard gas used in World War I to the highly lethal neurotoxin Sarin that is potentially available for use today, chemicals are considered a weapon of mass destruction, and their use is condemned by most civilized nations.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.