Armament refers to weapons and military equipment, especially the weapons that equip a military force, vehicle, or fortification. A battleship's armament might include massive cannons, torpedoes, and defensive guns. A fighter jet's armament could consist of missiles, bombs, and machine guns. When historians describe a castle's armament, they mean its collection of weapons: catapults, crossbows, and cannons positioned to defend against attackers.

The word often appears in its plural form: armaments. When countries build up their armaments, they're manufacturing and stockpiling weapons. The arms race during the Cold War involved the United States and the Soviet Union each trying to build more powerful armaments than the other, particularly nuclear weapons.

You might also hear about disarmament, which means reducing or eliminating weapons. After wars, nations sometimes agree to disarmament treaties that limit how many weapons each side can keep.

When someone arms themselves, they're equipping themselves with weapons. A knight in medieval times would arm himself with a sword and shield before battle. Today, security officers might arm themselves with tasers or other defensive equipment.