Also 7–8 amu-. [a. 16–17th c. Fr. a(m)munition, vulgarly amonition, an army corruption of munition (also vulgarly monition). H. Estienne (1578) says ‘le peuplier grossier prononce monition (amonition, selon autres) pour munition’; and Ménage (1672), ‘les soldats disent pain d’amonition; mais les officiers disent pain de munition’—Thurot, Pron. Franç., 1881, p. 275. Apparently caused by taking la munition as l’amonition through confusion of the novel munition with the familiar a(d)monition a ‘warning’ legal or ecclesiastical. Cf. noix d’Acajou for noix de Cajou. Subseq. rejected in Fr. (exc. as a vulgarism), but retained in Eng. with amm-, assimilated to words from L. in imm-, comm-, ann-, etc. L. adm- does not become amm- in Fr. or Eng.]
1. Military stores or supplies; formerly, of all kinds (as still attrib.: see 3); now, articles used in charging guns and ordnance, as powder, shot, shell; and by extension, offensive missiles generally.
a. 1626. Bacon, Adv. Villiers (J.). Convenient arms and a[m]munition for their defence.
1642. Declar. Lords & Comm., 7 Jan., 6. Horses, Armes, and Amunition.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1277. He all their ammunition And feats of war defeats.
1692. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 413. A French prize of 180 tunns, laden with ammunitions.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 54. The Amunition used in Battering the City.
1710. Lond. Gaz., mmmmdccvi/2. 25000 Fire-locks, with a suitable Proportion of Ammunition.
1769. Mrs. Harris, in Priv. Lett. Ld. Malmesb., I. 177. The ammunition of these rioters consisted chiefly of dirt, but many stones were seen to be thrown.
1870. Knight, Crown Hist. Eng., xl. 519. At seven in the evening their ammunition was nearly exhausted.
2. fig.
1645. Bp. Hall, Content., 103. This spirituall Ammunition shall sufficiently furnish the soul for her encounter with her last enemy.
1833. Marryat, Pet. Simp. (1863), 70. I had finished my meal, which did not take long, for want of ammunition.
3. attrib. as ammunition-boots, -bread, -hat, -loaf, -shoes, etc., those supplied to soldiers as equipment or rations; ammunition-face, a warlike one; ammunition-house, one used for the storage of ammunition; ammunition-wagon, one used to convey the ammunition for a force.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Clev. Vind. (1677), 96. So much for his Warlike or Ammunition Face.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 314. Lin’d with many a piece Of ammunition bread and cheese.
1692. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 471. An ammunition loafe of bread was sold for 18 soals.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 1320. A ammunition whore, scortum castrense.
1697. Lond. Gaz., mmmccxcvi/4. Deserted … Thomas Stone … took away with him his Ammunition Hat.
1703. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), V. 356. Whose ammunition house at Turin is blown up by some incendiaries.
1844. Regul. & Ord. Army, 152. The Men are entitled to their Ammunition Boots or Shoes, with the rest of their Clothing.
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., IV. 275. Ammunition waggons were prepared and loaded.
