[ad. L. armāmentum (in cl. L. only in pl.), f. armāre to ARM: see -MENT. Prob. after F. armement (16th c. in Littré).]
1. A force military or (more usually) naval, equipped for war. Also fig.
1699. Luttrell, Brief Rel., IV. 506. To … make a report of what sea armaments are making there.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XX. 153. To guard his life … We, the great armament of heaven came down.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., III. v. That boundless Armament of Mechanisers and Unbelievers threatening to strip us bare.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., xvii. 207. William’s whole armament had crossed the channel.
2. Military equipments, munitions of war: spec. the great guns on board a man-of-war.
1721. Bailey, Armament, a Store-house for Arms; also the Arms and Provisions of a Navy.
1740. Johnson, Drake, Wks. IV. 456. To view the ship, with the warlike armaments.
1877. Echo, 25 Oct., 1/5. Their armament will consist of 12 guns.
3. gen. Equipment or apparatus for resistance or action of any kind.
1870. Lowell, Among My Books, Ser. I. (1873), 91. How far above all modern armament is his prophylactic against his insubstantial fellow-lodger.
[1830. N. Kerr, in Med. Temp. Jrnl., July, 153. Ergot and other obstetric armamenta.]
4. The process of equipping for purposes of war.
1813. Southey, Nelson, ii. (1854), 71. During the armament which was made upon occasion of the dispute concerning Nootka Sound.
1868. H. F. Bourne, Eng. Seamen, II. 13. With the armament of the navy, Hawkins had not much to do.
