List of Weapons in English with Pictures • 7ESL

Weapons come in many forms, each designed for a specific purpose. Some common types of weapons include swords, guns, and bows. Knowing these terms can help students understand many subjects better. Whether reading historical texts or modern stories, familiar terms can make learning English more enjoyable and effective.

Contents

List of Weapons: Short-Range Weapons

Short-range weapons include weapons that are used in close quarters, i.e. hand-to-hand combat. They were once widely used in warfare, but now are used mainly in hunting, law enforcement, and martial arts. They include the:

Stick
Knife
Blade
Club
Ax
Sword
Spear
Halberd
Pike
Lance

List of Weapons: Long-Range Weapons

Long-range weapons are weapons designed to be used when far from a target or opponent. They have existed since ancient times and have become technologically advanced over time. They include the:

Javelin
Boomerang
Crossbow
Bolo
Flamethrower
Grenade
Harpoon
Spear
Bow and Arrow
Artillery
Cannon
Rocket
Missile
Torpedo

List of Weapons: Firearms

Firearms are a type of long-range weapon that dates back to the use of gunpowder in 10th-century China. Over time, these weapons have been widely used in warfare, in crime, by law enforcement, and for hunting. They include the:

Revolver
Rifle
Shotgun
Semi and Fully Automatic Gun
Machine Gun

List of Weapons: Biological Weapons

Biological weapons are living organisms meant to attack the body. Consisting of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, they are frequently associated with terrorism and germ warfare. They include biological agents that cause diseases such as:

Anthrax
E. Coli
Smallpox
Cholera
(Bubonic) Plague

List of Weapons: Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons are compounds that cause severe blistering, choking or extensive damage to the circulatory or nervous system. They have been used historically in warfare and genocide, and presently in law enforcement. They include:

Nerve Gas
Mustard Gas
Tear Gas
Pepper Spray

List of Weapons: Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are weapons that use atomic reactions or decaying radioactive material to do damage through explosions or by spreading radiation. They include:

Nuclear Fission (“Atomic”) Bombs
Nuclear Fusion (“Hydrogen”) Bombs
Radiological elements (Uranium, plutonium, etc.)

List of Weapons: Vehicles/Other

These include vehicles or devices upon which other weapons may be mounted, including:

Tanks
Land Mines
Naval Mines
Airplanes
Submarines
Ships

What Are Weapons?

Weapons are implements, tools, or machines that are intended to injure or harm. They usually refer to devices that are outside (or apart) from the body, those whose possession would constitute a state of being armed. In contrast, being unarmed refers to a lack of weapon ownership or possession.

Weapons are used in hunting, war, law enforcement, crime, self-defense, and martial arts. They can be as simple as a stick, ax, or club, or as complex as machine guns, cannons, bombs, chemical gases, or nuclear devices.

In recent decades, weapons have been used in warfare on a very large scale – such weapons are referred to as “weapons of mass destruction”. Since these weapons have been seen as a threat to human life, treaties and diplomatic measures have been taken to reduce their use.

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Liam Daniel

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