weapon

These Spanish swords dating from between the 12th and 15th centuries show the perfection of the art of sword-making, before the development of firearms in the 16th century lessened their importance as weapons. The Spanish city of Toledo was particularly renowned for the quality of its swords.

Any implement used for attack and defence, from simple clubs, spears, and bows and arrows in prehistoric times to machine guns and nuclear bombs in modern times. A revolution in warfare came with the invention of gunpowder and the development of cannons and shoulder-held guns. Many other weapons now exist, such as grenades, shells, torpedoes, rockets, and guided missiles. The ultimate in explosive weapons are the atomic (fission) and hydrogen (fusion) bombs. They release the enormous energy produced when atoms split or fuse together (see nuclear warfare). There are also chemical and bacteriological weapons, which release poisons or disease.