unfired

Word family

• fire
  verbB1
• fired
  adjectiveB2
• fire
  nounA2
• firing
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three alternatives describe something that has not been used, but they differ in scope. 'Undischarged' is the most direct formal synonym for 'unfired weapon or ammunition'; it stresses that the explosive charge was never released. 'Unspent' applies specifically to ammunition (bullets, shells, cartridges) that remain unused — it cannot describe the weapon itself. 'Unused' is the broadest term and can describe any object that has never been put to its intended purpose, from a gun to a kitchen knife. For example: 'The officer's gun was undischarged throughout the incident,' but 'He found a box of unspent bullets in the old trunk.' If you say 'an unused gun,' it could mean either unfired or simply never taken out of its packaging.

Common collocations

Etymology

Formed by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'fired,' the past participle of the verb 'fire.' The sense 'discharge a weapon' developed in the 16th century, while the sense 'bake clay in a kiln' dates to the 13th century. Both senses of 'fire' trace back through Middle English 'firen' to Old English 'fȳrian,' ultimately deriving from the noun 'fȳr' ('fire').