Definition

1. Noun:
   • Projectiles for weapons: Material (such as bullets, shells, or grenades) that is fired from a gun or otherwise used as a weapon in combat.
   • Material for weapons of mass destruction: Any nuclear, chemical, or biological material that can be used as a weapon of mass destruction.
   • Information for argumentation: Facts, evidence, or information that can be used effectively to attack or defend a claim, argument, or viewpoint in a debate or discussion.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Projectiles):
  • The soldiers carefully checked their ammunition before the mission.
  • The factory produces ammunition for military use.
• Noun (Information):
  • The leaked email provided perfect ammunition for the opposition's campaign.
  • He gathered statistical data as ammunition to support his proposal.

Advanced Usage

• "to run out of ammunition": To have no more physical projectiles; figuratively, to have no more arguments or evidence.
  • After a long debate, he finally ran out of ammunition and conceded the point.
• "live ammunition": Real, functional bullets or shells, as opposed to blanks or dummy rounds.
  • The training exercise was conducted using live ammunition.

Variants and Related Words

• Ammo (n, informal): A common short form for "ammunition."
  • We need to stock up on ammo before the competition.
• Ammunition belt (n): A belt for carrying cartridges or feeding them into an automatic weapon.
• Ammunition dump/depot (n): A place where ammunition is stored.

Synonyms

• Munitions: Military weapons, ammunition, and equipment.
• Ordnance: Military supplies including weapons, ammunition, and combat vehicles.
• Projectiles: Objects propelled through the air, especially ones fired from a weapon.
• Evidence: Information used to support a claim (for the figurative sense).

Related Phrases

• Political ammunition: Information used specifically in political arguments or campaigns.
  • The scandal was valuable political ammunition for her rivals.
• To be ammunition for someone/something: To serve as useful evidence or a point of attack.
  • His past mistakes are constant ammunition for his critics.

Related Idioms

• Ammunition for one's arsenal: Resources or information held in reserve for use in a conflict or debate.
  • She saved the damning report as ammunition for her arsenal in the upcoming board meeting.

Noun

1. information that can be used to attack or defend a claim or argument or viewpoint
   • his admission provided ammunition for his critics
2. any nuclear or chemical or biological material that can be used as a weapon of mass destruction
3. projectiles to be fired from a gun