weapon


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be a double-edged sword

To be something that can be both beneficial and problematic. Going back to school was a double-edged sword for Pam. On the one hand, it widened her career prospects, but, on the other hand, she was in a lot of debt when she graduated.
See also: sword

be a double-edged weapon

To be something that can be both beneficial and problematic. Going back to school was a double-edged weapon for Pam. On the one hand, it widened her career prospects, but, on the other hand, she was in a lot of debt when she graduated.
See also: weapon

be a double-edged ˈsword/ˈweapon

be something that has both advantages and disadvantages: This new ‘miracle diet’ is a double-edged sword — it’ll make you lose weight fast but you may have some unpleasant side effects.
See also: sword, weapon

secret weapon

A clandestine item or mode of attack unknown to the enemy. The term came into wide use during World War II, when it was rumored that Hitler was going to launch a powerful secret weapon against Great Britain. Subsequently the term was applied to pilotless planes, robot bombs, rockets, and nuclear bombs. Thereafter it entered the civilian vocabulary, where it is used in sports (“Bill’s second serve, stronger than the first, is his secret weapon”) and numerous other activities. Edith Simon had it in The Past Masters (1953): “See the candid camera at work, that misnamed secret weapon.”
See also: secret, weapon

weapons of mass destruction

Also, WMD. Weapons that can greatly harm or kill large numbers of people and/or severely damage man-made structures or the biosphere. The term was first used by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1937 with reference to the aerial bombardment of Guernica, Spain. Less than a decade later, the term was applied to nonconventional weapons, specifically nuclear weapons. During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, the term was used by President John F. Kennedy, referring to nuclear missiles. Fearing Iraq’s use of nuclear weapons, the alleged existence of such weapons became the main justification for the 2003 invasion of that country. By then, the term was so well known and so often abbreviated that it was on its way to clichédom.
See also: destruction, mass, of, weapon
References in classic literature ?
The fellow designated reached down two or three hands and lifted me up behind him on the glossy back of his mount, where I hung on as best I could by the belts and straps which held the Martian's weapons and ornaments.
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And above the spreading whisper of lowered voices only a little rattle of weapons would be heard, a single louder word distinct and alone, or the grave ring of a big brass tray.
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Warriors leaped to their feet, grasping their weapons as they rose, and shouting to one another for an explanation of the disturbance.
In the intervals they wear no insignia, their war-worn harness and grim weapons being sufficient to attest their calling.
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Defence Minister Lord Howe commended the vital work of scientific and technical experts to make the world safe from chemical weapons, while acknowledging the shocking events of the past year, including the chemical weapon attacks in Salisbury and Syria.
United Kingdom : UK reaffirms commitment to chemical weapon prohibition at international conference in London
Following a 2013 chemical weapon attack in Syria's East Ghouta, Syria joined the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Syrian FM: Terrorists Bringing Chemical Weapons to Syria From Iraq, Turkey
Through a series of delicate operations, the dangerous stash of chemical weapons will be defused and disposed.
US To Destroy Chemical Weapons
To date, 7 thousand 618 traumatic weapons are in possession of the Kyrgyz citizens, according to Minister of Interior Melis Turganbayev.
7,618 traumatic weapons in possession of Kyrgyz citizens -- Interior Ministry
From Ban Ki-moon to Barack Obama, everyone is presently concerned about the chances of the Syrian government using chemical weapons -- the weaponry belonging to the category of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) -- in the ongoing conflict.
Threat of chemical weapon use in Syrian conflict
(1) The term "stolen" indicates the weapon was taken from
Table 13: law enforcement officers feloniously killed: victim officer's weapon stolen by offender, 2003-2012
DEFINING THE "PRECISION WEAPON" IN EFFECTS-BASED TERMS: THE AUTHOR RESPONDS
Defining the "precision weapon" in effects-based terms
The six projects include the Fire Shadow Loitering Munition; a heavy anti-surface guided weapon for Royal Navy helicopters as a lead in to a 100kg weapon family, and a family of 50kg air-to-ground weapons.
MoD simplifies complex weapons development
* Revive the fundamental commitments of all NPT parties: the five nuclear weapon states to negotiate towards nuclear disarmament and the non-nuclear weapon states to refrain from developing nuclear weapons.
Weapons of terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, biological and chemical arms
Fixed-price contracts place greater risk on defense contractors to deliver a weapon system at a quoted cost.
Making the contract type fit the program
Nuclear weapons are far more destructive than conventional (regular) ones.
North Korea goes nuclear
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