Ordnances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A body of regulations or laws typically governing military activities including the management of weapons and munitions
2. A set of rules or statutes that prescribe how distribution and use of military supplies and equipment are conducted
3. A collection of formal directives that oversee the operations and stockpiling of arms and ammunition within a military context

Etymology: "Ordnances" is simply the plural of "ordnance," so its history is that of the singular noun. The sense of a body of rules, which the plural names here, is not the word's original meaning; it began as a broader idea of military equipment and supplies. The root is "ordinance," a word from the late 14th century that meant "military equipment or provisions." Over the next few centuries it took on two more military senses: "artillery," which appeared in the early 15th century, and "military logistics," recorded in the late 15th century. By the 17th century, English had shortened the form to "ordnance," and writers began to keep the short spelling for the weapons-related senses, leaving "ordinance" for the others. The short form is a doublet of "ordonnance," the same word that came into English from French, so the two spellings come from one source.

Synonyms: munitions, ammunition, weapons