Association of British Scrabble Players

Science & Tech > Weapons > Miscellaneous


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


adamsite a lung-irritating gas.
aerodart an arrowheaded missile of steel dropped by an aircraft.
arbalest arbalist arbelest arblast a cross-bow with a mechanism for drawing the string.
arcubalist a crossbow.
arrow a straight, pointed missile, made to be shot from a bow; (verb) to indicate the position of by arrow.
arrowhead the head or pointed part of an arrow.
balista ballista a Roman military engine in the form of a crossbow for projecting heavy missiles. Pl. BALISTAE or BALISTAS, BALLISTAE or BALLISTAS.
bangalore as in bangalore torpedo, an explosive device in a long metal tube, used for blowing holes in barbed wire.
bioweapon a biological weapon.
blowdart a dart shot from a blowpipe.
blowgun blowpipe blowtube a long straight tube from which an arrow, pellet, etc is blown by the breath.
bola bolas a S. American throwing weapon, consisting of two or more balls tied together. The plural of BOLA is BOLAS, but BOLAS is also used as a singular with pl. BOLASES.
boomerang a curved missile used by the Australian Aborigines, sometimes so balanced that it returns towards the thrower; (verb) to return like a boomerang.
bowshot the distance to which an arrow can be shot from a bow.
calthrop caltrap caltrop a device with four metal points so arranged so that one points upward as a hazard.
catapult a small forked stick having an elastic string fixed to the two prongs, used for firing small stones; historically, a large machine for throwing boulders; (verb) to fire by or as by catapult.
catapultier one who uses a CATAPULT.
corbeil a basket filled with earth used as a missile.
corvus a grappling hook, a hooked ram for destroying walls. [L. corvus, raven]. Pl. CORVUSES.
crossbow a weapon for shooting bolts, formed of a bow placed crosswise on a stock.
fireship a ship carrying combustible materials sent among the enemy's ships.
flechette a steel dart dropped from an aeroplane or fired from a gun.
fletch to provide (an arrow) with feathers for flight.
forkhead an arrowhead.
garote garotte garrote , garrotte a device for strangulation; (verb) to strangle with such a device.
hoplologist one who studies weapons.
hoplology the study of weapons.
longbow a bow drawn by hand as distinct from the crossbow.
mangonel a medieval war engine for throwing stones.
militaria weapons, uniforms and other things associated with wars past and present.
moulinet a machine for bending a crossbow.
novichok a nerve agent.
nunchaku nunchucks nunchuk nunchuck a martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks joined by a length of chain, used as a flail or garotte. No NUNCHUCK*.
petrary a contrivance for hurling stones.
phaser a type of science fiction weapon.
psychogas a gas which makes a person's performance deteriorate very seriously without his being aware of it.
ragbolt a bolt with barbs to prevent withdrawal.
retiary fighting with a net, using a net, esp. in the manner of a RETIARIUS. N.B. this is an adjective.
rostrum a spike on prow of warship for ramming. Pl. ROSTRUMS or ROSTRA.
sarbacane a blowpipe for shooting animals etc.
sarin a kind of nerve gas.
shuriken a hand-held throwing weapon, either long and thin or flat and star-shaped, used by ninja warriors.
sling a strap or pocket with a string attached to each end, for hurling a stone.
slinger one who uses a SLING.
slingshot a stone from a SLING.
soman a kind of nerve gas.
squailer a throwing stick.
stoneshot a stone or stones used as shot.
sumpit sumpitan a Malay blow-pipe made from a hollow cane.
tabun a nerve-gas.
tase to immobilise with a taser.
taser a gunlike device which fires electrified darts; (verb) to immobilize with a taser.
teargas to attack with teargas.
tormentum an ancient catapult-like war machine. Pl. TORMENTA.
trebuchet a medieval siege engine for launching stones.
warbot any robot or unmanned vehicle or device designed for and used in warfare.
warwolf a mediaeval siege engine.
weaponeer to design weapons, especially nuclear weapons.
weaponeering the act of fitting out with weapons.
weaponise weaponize to adapt e.g. a bacillus for use as a weapon.
weaponry weapons collectively.
windac windas a windlass; an instrument for bending a crossbow.
yperite mustard gas.