Bioweapon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪ.əʊˌwɛ.pən/

Definitions

1. A harmful biological entity developed for use in warfare seeks to inflict harm on living beings or ecosystems through disease or toxicity
2. An intentionally created pathogen or toxin functions as an instrument of warfare by causing illness or death among specific targets
3. A biological agent engineered with the intent to harm populations or environments during conflicts is known to inflict disease or mortality

Etymology: Bioweapon is a plain compound, and its story is mostly about the two halves joining. The first half comes from Ancient Greek "bios", meaning life, which gave English the combining form "bio-". The second half, "weapon", descends from a Proto-Germanic word, reaching English through Old English "wēpen" and Middle English "wepen". Neither part changed much in meaning on its way; "weapon" has always meant an implement of attack or defense. The compound itself is a modern formation: "bio-" was attached to "weapon" to name a weapon that uses living organisms or their products, such as bacteria, viruses, or toxins, to cause disease or death. The earlier history of "bio-" is worth knowing. It was used in English as a combining form in scientific words such as "biology," so readers already had it in the sense of "life" before "bioweapon" was coined.

Synonyms: biological weapon, germ weapon, bio-agent