implements of war
1
7.0
- noun
- During the Roman occupation of Judea, Jews were forbidden to own swords, spears, or any implements of war.
Examples
-
Whose economy profits by the mass production of WMDs and implements of war?
Blog text (12) -
The hub-his powerful industrial center... which grinds out the implements of war.
-
On the opposite side of the same sheet, a seated soldier is surrounded by these implements of war (Fig. 7).
Academic text (2004) -
It is to the implements of war that we should turn our attention, our exertions, and our funds to ensure and complete our means of defense.
-
Whose economy profits by the mass production of WMDs and implements of war?
Synonyms
526
2.8
Weapons and military equipment used for fighting
74
4.2
Tools used for fighting that belong to a country or group, like guns and swords
52
3.6
A group of machines and tools used together by the military to attack or defend
46
7.6
Weapons, bullets, and equipment used in war
28
7.0
Weapons and equipment like guns, tanks and ships that an army uses
27
8.7
Weapons and ammunition used by an army, especially large guns
11
4.1
A group of weapons designed to work together for military use
1
5.9
Military machines and weapons used in war, like tanks and missiles
How Deadly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'objects or devices used in warfare' is directly and compositionally derived from 'implement' (an instrument or tool) combined with 'of war' specifying the domain, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer the phrase. The noun-of-noun possession/association pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore this phrase is transparent despite the slightly formal register of 'implement'.
Etymology
Implements of war comes from the simple meaning of implements as tools and war as fighting, so imagine a soldier's toolbox filled with swords, spears and guns. So, implements of war means 'weapons' or other objects used for fighting.