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Photo of a cannon.

Weapons & war terms

Things that can be used to hurt or restrain other people or animals.

Photo of missiles
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Mis forMissile

Missiles are anything you can throw or fire, generally as a weapon. Missiles include the stones you put in a sling, arrows and modern self-propelled missiles.
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Nis forNavy

A Navy is the armed forces of a country that operates on water, such as on the ocean.
Photo of a noose.
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Nis forNoose

A noose is a type of knot made in a rope such that it has a loop in it that can be pulled looser or tighter. Nooses are usually associated with death by hanging. The noose goes around a person's neck and they are let drop, so their weight pulls the noose tight.
A projectile is something that is fired from a weapon at high speed. Anything can be used as a projectile, but most weapons have very specific and effective types of projectiles. Examples of projectiles are bullets and cannon balls.
A razor blade is a very thin, sharp blade that is usually found inside shaving razors.
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Razor wire, or barbed tape is similar to barbed wire but is designed to stop humans rather than animals from passing. There is a single strand of barbed wire in the picture. Razor wire has sharp blades made from pressed stainless steel along its length. The blades are designed to give very bad cuts to anyone trying to climb over it.

Ris forRifle

A rifle is a type of weapon that is designed to be fired while supported by your shoulder, unlike small guns which are simply held in your hand. Rifles are most often used for hunting, or by the military. Older rifles could only fire one bullet at a time, some modern rifles fire in bursts, or can fire continuously.
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Sis forShield

A shield is a protective device that is used to stop you getting hurt by people attacking you with weapons like swords. Shields were usually made from wood or leather, and were decorated with pictures or patterns.
Photo of a boy using a slingshot
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A slingshot is a weapon made from a Y-shaped arm with an elastic band connecting the two arms. There is usually a pocket for a stone or other projectile in the centre of the band. Slingshots can be very accurate, and can be used to hunt small game.
Photo of boxers sparring
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Sis forSpar

Sparring is a term for a fight, usually one for training purposes. Sparring might also mean a fight as part of a competition, and can be used to talk about a non-physical contest, such as verbal sparring. Once a fight is fueled by emotion and gets out of control, it isn't sparring.