Munition

Ammunition (mass noun, commonly shortened to ammo) is the general term used for the material fired, scattered, dropped or detonated from any weapon. Broadly speaking ammunition refers to both expendable weapons (e.g. bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines, naval mines, and anti-personnel mines), and the component parts of other weapons that actually create the effect on the target (e.g. bullets and warheads). Nearly all weapons will require some for of ammunition to operate. The word comes from the French la munition, which was all material used for war. The terms ammunition and munitions are often used interchangeably, although the term munitions now usually refers to both the actual weapon system alongside the ammunition required to operate it.

The purpose of ammunition is to project force against a selected target in order to have an effect (usually, but not always, lethal). The term normally refers to both the projectile or weapon component having the effect (e.g. the projectile/bullet) and the supporting munitions, often pyrotechnic or incendiary compounds, that deliver the effect (e.g. the gunpowder). The most iconic example of ammunition would be the cartridge, which includes all of the components required to deliver the weapon effect in a single package.

Ammunition comes in a great range of sizes and types and is often designed to only work in specific weapon systems, although there are internationally recognised standards for certain ammunition types (e.g. 5.56×45mm NATO) that enable their use across different weapons and by different users. There are also specific types of ammunition that are designed to have a specialised effect on a target, such as armour-piercing shells and tracer ammunition, and these may only be used in certain circumstances. Ammunition is commonly coloured in a specific manner to aide easy identification and to prevent the wrong ammunitions types being used accidentally.

The term ammunition can be traced back to the mid 17th century although even if the term was not used before this time it can be assumed that there was a term used by armies and individuals to refer to the supply of the projectiles used in various weapon systems (e.g. arrows, catapult bolts etc.). The provision of enough ammunition to ensure that a military force can continue fighting is a key consideration of military logistics and there are countless examples where a lack of ammunition has been a deciding factor in who emerges victorious in a battle.

...
Wikipedia