ammo
UK[ˈæməʊ]US[ˈæmoʊ]
n
A supply of bullets, shells, and other projectiles that can be fired from guns or other weapons.
Etymology
The term "ammo" is a 20th-century colloquial clipping of the word "ammunition." "Ammunition" itself entered English in the 17th century from French munition, originally meaning all military supplies. The French term derived from Latin munitionem, meaning "a fortifying, defending," from the verb munire ("to fortify, defend"). The initial "am-" in "ammunition" arose from a mistaken separation of the French phrase la munition as l'ammunition. The clipped form "ammo" retains the core phonetic essence of the original while streamlining it for informal, rapid communication, especially in military contexts.
Analysis
The word is a clipped form (shortening) of the longer word "ammunition." It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern spelling.
Examples
The soldiers checked their weapons and ammo before the patrol.
We're running low on ammo; we need to resupply.
He loaded a fresh magazine of ammo into his rifle.