different between missiles vs munition

English

Noun

missiles

1. plural of missile

French

Noun

missiles m

1. plural of missile

Latin

Adjective

missil?s

1. nominative masculine plural of missilis
2. nominative feminine plural of missilis
3. accusative masculine plural of missilis
4. accusative feminine plural of missilis
5. vocative masculine plural of missilis
6. vocative feminine plural of missilis

English

Etymology

From Latin m?niti? (“a defence, fortification”) via French munition.

Noun

munition (plural munitions)

1. (chiefly in the plural) Materials of war: armaments, weapons and ammunition.
   • 1918, Upton Sinclair, The Profits of Religion: An Essay in Economic Interpretation Book 7.:

     Just as we can say that an English girl who leaves the narrow circle of her old life, and goes into a munition factory and joins a union and takes part in its debates, will never after be a docile home-slave; so we can say that the clergyman who helps in Y. M. C. A. work in France, or in Red Cross organization in America, will be less the bigot and formalist forever after.

2. (chiefly in the plural, military, NATO) Bombs, rockets, missiles (complete explosive devices, in contrast to e.g. guns).
3. (rare, obsolete) A tower or fortification.
   • 1610, Douay-Rheims Bible, Habacuc 2:1

     I wil stand vpon my watch, and fixe my steppe vpon the munition: and I wil behold, to see what may be sayd to me, and what I may answer to him that rebuketh me.

Derived terms

• munitionette
• munitioner
• submunition

Translations

Verb

munition (third-person singular simple present munitions, present participle munitioning, simple past and past participle munitioned)

1. (transitive) To supply with munitions.

Derived terms

• remunition

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin m?niti?, from m?ni?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /my.ni.sj??/

Noun

munition f (plural munitions)

1. ammunition (weaponry)

Derived terms

Usage notes

Generally used in the plural.

Descendants

• English: munition

Further reading

• “munition” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).