arsenal
UK[ˈɑːsənəl]US[ˈɑːrsənəl]
n
A collection of weapons and military equipment.
n
A place where weapons and military equipment are stored or made.
n
A store or collection of useful things, especially information or resources.
Etymology
The word 'arsenal' has a rich journey through trade and conflict. It entered English in the 16th century from the Italian 'arsenale', referring to the great naval dockyard of Venice. The Italian term was borrowed from the Arabic 'dār aṣ-ṣināʿah', meaning "house of manufacture" or "workshop". This Arabic phrase can be traced back to the late Greek 'arsenikon', a noun derived from 'arsēn', meaning "male" or "virile", but which in this compound likely conveyed a sense of "strong" or "potent" craft. Thus, the term evolved from a general workshop to a specialized place for making and storing the potent instruments of war, eventually broadening in English to mean any strategic collection of resources.
Analysis
The word 'arsenal' is a loanword adopted as a single, unsegmentable unit into English. It originates from the Italian 'arsenale', which itself came via Arabic from a Greek phrase meaning "workshop" or "manufactory".
Examples
The country has been steadily building up its nuclear arsenal.
The old naval arsenal has been converted into a museum.
She came to the debate armed with an impressive arsenal of facts and figures.