Military weapons, ammunition, and equipment; artillery and explosive devices.
From Old French ordenance meaning 'arrangement' or 'command', from Latin ordinantia. Originally referred to military supplies and organization in general, narrowing to specifically mean weapons and ammunition by the 16th century.
Ordnance is often confused with 'ordinance' (a law or regulation), but they come from the same root concept of 'ordering' - one orders society through laws, the other orders battles through weapons. The U.S. military still reflects this in the 'Ordnance Corps,' responsible for weapons maintenance and disposal.
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