Definition

Military weapons, ammunition, and related equipment—basically anything designed to explode, propel, or otherwise ruin someone's day. Not to be confused with 'ordinance' (a local law), though both can blow up in your face if mishandled.

Example Usage

The ordnance technicians spent three hours safely disposing of the unexploded bombs found at the construction site.

Origin

From Middle French 'ordenance' meaning arrangement or military supplies

Fun Fact

Unexploded ordnance from WWI still kills people in Europe over a century later—the Iron Harvest—proving that old ordnance never dies, it just waits patiently underground.

Source: Military logistics and explosive ordnance disposal terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

pop smoke

To deploy a smoke grenade, typically to mark a position for extraction, conceal movement, or signal aircraft. Also used colloquially to mean departing quickly from any situation.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

rock drill

A tactical rehearsal where leaders use rocks, sticks, and dirt to create a miniature terrain model and walk through the mission plan, because PowerPoint doesn't work well in a combat zone. It's military planning meets sandbox playtime.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

OPSEC

Operational Security — the art of not telling anyone anything about anything ever. The military invented information hoarding before tech companies made it cool with NDAs. If you're explaining OPSEC to someone, you might already be violating it.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

horse cock

Military and blue-collar slang for complete nonsense or an absurd demand, typically used when someone in authority makes an unreasonable request. It's a colorful way to call BS without directly insubordinating yourself. The term conveys both disbelief and derision in two efficient syllables.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

SNAFU

Acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fouled Up" (or a more colorful variant), describing the military's natural state of controlled chaos where nothing works quite as planned but everyone pretends it's fine. A philosophical acceptance that Murphy's Law is the only reliable constant.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Advanced

wickets

Mission planning checkpoints or milestones that must be met before proceeding to the next phase of an operation. Like waypoints but with implied approval gates attached.

🎖️ Military / Defense

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