Noun

Singular weapon

Plural weapons

weapon (plural weapons)

1. an instrument of attack or defense in combat or hunting, e.g. a gun, missile, or sword
2. an instrument or other means of harming or exerting control over another

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:weapon

A weapon is a tool used to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack, self-defense, or defense in combat.

Weapons can be as simple as a club, or as complex as an intercontinental ballistic missile, and include those that damage individual or group morale.

History

Prehistoric weapons

Very simple weapon use has been seen in some communities of chimpanzees., leading to speculation that early hominids may have first used weapons five million years ago. but these would probably have been wooden clubs, spears and unshaped stones—none of which would leave an unambiguous record.

The earliest unambiguous examples of weapons are:

• Eight wooden throwing spears, the Schöninger Speere, which have been dated to around 400,000 years old.
• By 250,000 years ago wooden spears were made with fire-hardened points
• The oldest atlatl (a spear-throwing weapon) dates back to 27,000 years ago.
• Throwing sticks are also one of the earliest type of weapon.