biological weapon
60
5.6
- noun
- /ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈwɛpən/
- NSFW
:
arma biológica
- Clinton made himself an expert on the threat of a biological weapons attack on U.S. soil.
- chemical and biological weapons
- nuclear and biological weapons
- use biological weapons
It just the simple, oh, right, biological weapons have become taboo.
- It just the simple, oh, right, biological weapons have become taboo.
- Israel has chemical weapons, biological weapons, nuclear weapons.
- Do we want to open source nuclear weapons, biological weapons?
- And then a month later, we went to Iraq saying he's got capable nuclear, biological weapons.
- We've had biological weapons and other terrible things with us that we don't see used.
- Li Chen defected to United States carrying a diskette record of China's most important dangerous new biological weapons of the decade.
Examples
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Scientists are working to develop regulations that prevent the use of biological weapons in warfare.
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Our enemies on the other side are using biological weapons in the war against us.
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Is it a biological weapon gone out of control?
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The Soviet Union produced a large supply of biological weapons during the Cold War, some of which may still be available.
Academic text (2001) -
Furthermore, there is good reason to fear that biological weapons could become the weapon of choice for terrorists.
Academic text (2001) -
In the case of biological weapons, possession is lawful for authorized government or military actors engaged in research.
Academic text (2017) -
The current justification for sanctions is that Iraq possesses the means to produce chemical and biological weapons.
Academic text (1999) -
During the conflict, some nations resorted to deploying biological weapons to incapacitate their foes.
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The alarming rise in the stockpiling of biological weapons poses a significant risk to global security.
Synonyms
15
7.6
A weapon that uses bacteria or viruses to harm people, animals and plants
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a weapon that uses bacteria, viruses, or other organisms to harm or kill' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'biologic(al)' (relating to life or organisms) with 'weapon' (an instrument used to harm). This adjective+noun composition is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reliably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Biological weapon comes from its two parts: biological means 'from living things' and weapon means 'a tool to hurt or kill'. So the phrase refers to using bacteria, viruses, or other living things as a weapon to harm people, animals, or plants.