ordnance

/ˈɔːdnəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːrdnəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯrd-nən(t)s/ (ame, mw)

ordnance — noun

1. weapons, bombs, ammunition, and other equipment that an army uses in fighting, c

1.名詞C2
釋義

weapons, bombs, ammunition, and other equipment that an army uses in fighting, considered as a category of military property.

例句

After the war ended, soldiers spent months collecting unexploded ordnance from the fields near Hoa's village.

collocation: unexploded ordnance

The army warehouse stored ordnance worth millions of dollars, guarded day and night by armed sentries.

typical subject: army / military warehouse

同義詞
  • munitions

    near-synonym; emphasises ammunition and explosives rather than the wider category

  • armaments

    broader; includes weapons as national or strategic holdings

  • matériel

    very formal; covers all military supplies including non-weapon gear like vehicles and tents

文法句型

uncountable noun

用法筆記

Uncountable; takes singular verb agreement. Often modified by 'unexploded', 'heavy', 'light', or 'naval'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense covers the whole category of military equipment, while sense 2 refers specifically to large guns.

常見錯誤

❌The soldiers carried many ordnances.
✅The soldiers carried a lot of ordnance.
💡ordnance is uncountable; do not add -s or use 'many'.
❌She bought new ordnance from the store.
✅She bought new ammunition from the store.
💡ordnance is a formal collective term for military supplies, not used for civilian purchases.

2. large guns that can be moved, such as those mounted on wheels, ships, or vehicle

2.名詞C2
釋義

large guns that can be moved, such as those mounted on wheels, ships, or vehicles, used by an army or navy in battle.

例句

Reema watched the navy ship fire its ordnance at the practice targets floating far out at sea.

typical context: naval gunfire

Soldiers pulled the heavy ordnance into position on top of the hill before sunrise.

collocation: heavy ordnance (sense 2 — guns)

同義詞
  • artillery

    the standard modern term for large mounted guns

  • cannon

    refers to the individual gun rather than the category

  • guns

    general; collocates more widely than ordnance in this sense

文法句型

uncountable noun

用法筆記

Now somewhat dated in this gun-specific sense; modern writing usually says 'artillery' for wheeled guns. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers only to the physical cannons/guns themselves, not the wider category of military supplies.

常見錯誤

❌The cannon is an ordnance from the war.
✅The cannon is a piece of ordnance from the war.
💡even in the gun sense, ordnance stays uncountable; use 'piece of' for one item.