Now rare exc. in pa. pple.: see WEAPONED. Forms: α. 1 wǽpnian, wǽmnian, 3 wepne-n, wepnie-n, wepni, 5 weppen, wepen, 6 wepon, 6– weapon; β. E. Anglian 3 wop(e)nen; north. 4 wapne. [OE. wǽpnian, f. wǽpen WEAPON sb.; cf. OHG. wâffanen, -ôn (MHG. wafenen, wæfenen, mod.G. waffnen), also MHG. wapenen (mod.G. wappnen, to clothe in armor), ON. vápna.] trans. To furnish with weapons or a weapon; to arm.

1

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gram., xix. (Z.), 122. Armor ic eom ʓewæpnod, armo te ic wæpniʓe ðe.

2

c. 1205.  Lay., 8644. He seide forð rihtes: wepneð eow cnihtes. Ibid., 8655. He wepnede his cnihtes and ȝarewede heom to fehten.

3

c. 1425.  Eng. Conq. Ireland, v. 16. Ne shamefully ne didde hym to flight, bot euer mor he was I-lich redy to weppen and to defend hymself.

4

1535.  Coverdale, 1 Macc. xiv. 32. Then Symon withstode them, and … weapened the valeaunt men of his people.

5

1591.  Sir J. Smith, Instruct. (1595), 217. All sortes of souldiours may presentlie … arme and weapon themselues in warrelike manner.

6

  b.  fig.

7

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 72. He mid rodetacne his muð and ealne his lichaman ʓewæpnode.

8

a. 1225.  Juliana, 43. Hwer se we eauer iseoð mon oðer wummon eani god biginnen; we wepnið us aȝein ham.

9

1593.  Nashe, Christ’s T., D 3. A great many more allegations hath hee to thys end, which heere to recite were to weapon presumption.

10

  Hence Weaponing vbl. sb.

11

1590.  Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 3 b. And as they doo mistake the conuenient arming of horsemen and footmen, so they also mistake the weaponing of them.

12