War and Peace: English Vocabulary List

a country's military force trained to fight on land

"The army was deployed to provide disaster relief."

"The nation's army was mobilized to defend its borders against the approaching enemy."

to follow commands, rules, or orders

"You must obey the traffic rules."

"The dog was trained to obey every command that his owner gave him without any hesitation at all."

an officer in charge of a military operation or a group of soldiers

"The commander led the troops."

"The fleet commander issued the final orders for the naval operation, directing all units involved."

the state of having lost in a contest, war, competition, etc.

"The army accepted defeat after the long battle."

"The general refused to accept defeat even though his army had lost half its soldiers and supplies were dangerously low."

the success that is achieved in a competition, game, war, etc.

"The victory felt sweet."

"The team celebrated victory after a long and difficult season."

to protect a person, place, or property against harm or an attack

"The dog will guard the house."

"The soldier was ordered to guard the entrance to the building and not let anyone enter without proper identification."

an object that can physically harm someone or something, such as a gun, bomb, knife, etc.

"He carried a weapon illegally."

"A weapon of mass destruction is a nuclear device that could cause catastrophic damage."

to physically harm something

"The flood damages buildings."

"The storm damaged several cars and houses in the coastal town where we used to live."

the pilot of a fighter aircraft

"The dogfighter was brave."

"The dogfighter flew close to the enemy plane during the battle."

a fight between different military forces during a war

"The soldier received a medal for bravery in combat."

"The soldiers engaged in fierce combat against the enemy forces on the battlefield."

a weapon that carries explosives and can be guided to strike a distant target

"The missile launched quickly."

"The missile traveled fast across the sky before hitting its target."

a long gun that can shoot multiple small bullets at one time, suitable for hunting animals such as birds

"The farmer kept a shotgun to protect his animals from wild foxes."

"A shotgun is a long-barreled firearm that fires a cartridge containing many small pellets"

the act of firing a gun

"We heard a gunshot."

"The loud gunshot echoed through the quiet street causing everyone nearby to freeze in fear and look for cover."

the repeated shooting of one or several guns

"The gunfire was loud."

"The sudden burst of gunfire from the distance startled the hikers on the trail."

a state of armed fighting between two or more groups, nations, or states

"War is terrible."

"The civil war lasted for five years devastating the country economy and forcing millions of civilians to flee their homes as refugees."

a period or state where there is no war or violence

"We all want world peace."

"the people longed for peace."

the armed forces of a country

"The military is strong."

"The military conducted training exercises near the border aiming to improve readiness in case of an unexpected attack from hostile forces."

a group of trained and organized people such as the police, soldiers, etc.

"The police force arrived quickly."

"The elite special forces unit was deployed to neutralize the ongoing threat."

to give an instruction to someone to do something through one's authority

"I order you to stop."

"The judge ordered the witness to answer the question directly without evading or changing the subject."

a command or instruction given by someone in a position of authority

"The king gave an order."

"The general issued a clear order to advance, leaving no room for interpretation."

a member of the military who holds a position of authority over others

"The officer saluted him."

"The young officer bravely led his platoon into the challenging battlefield."

a hostile encounter between armed forces during a war

"The conflict is serious."

"The conflict lasted for months and affected the whole region."

a fight between opposing armed forces, particularly during a war

"The Battle of Britain was a key air conflict."

"The soldiers prepared for the intense battle that would determine the outcome of the war."

to win against someone in a war, game, contest, etc.

"Our team will defeat the opponents."

"The army was able to defeat the enemy forces after a long and bloody battle that lasted three days."

an attempt to injure or destroy forces or buildings of the enemy in a war

"The attack happened suddenly."

"The sudden attack caught the defenders completely off guard because their intelligence had indicated that the enemy was still days away from the border."

to begin using weapons against a place or enemy during a war

"They will attack soon."

"The enemy decided to attack the fortified city under the cover of darkness."

to not let any harm come to someone or something

"Soldiers defend their country bravely."

"The lawyer worked tirelessly to defend her client against the serious charges that could have put him in prison."

the measures and actions a country takes to protect itself from military attack or threats

"The defense was strong."

"The country spent billions on defense building missile systems and surveillance technology to protect against potential threats from neighboring states."

a type of weapon that can fire bullets, etc.

"The gun was locked away."

"Police found a gun at the scene and secured the area."

a small cylindrical metal object designed to be fired from a gun

"The bullet flew fast."

"The police found a single bullet lodged in the doorframe at the crime scene."

an object that is designed to explode and cause destruction

"The bomb exploded."

"The bomb destroyed part of the building and caused panic."

to shoot a bullet, shell, etc. from a weapon

"He will fire the gun."

"The soldiers were ordered to fire their weapons at the approaching enemy tanks."

to break apart violently and noisily in a way that causes destruction

"The bomb explodes with a loud bang."

"The gas tank exploded suddenly causing a massive fire that destroyed the entire building."

to release a bullet or arrow from a gun or bow

"Soldiers shoot at the enemy target."

"The hunter aimed carefully before deciding to shoot at the deer in the forest."

a sudden, forceful release of energy due to a chemical or nuclear reaction, causing rapid expansion of gases, loud noise, and often destruction

"The explosion was loud."

"The unexpected explosion caused significant structural damage to the building."

a country or its forces that one is fighting against in a war

"The enemy advanced."

"In times of war distinguishing enemy combatants from civilian populations becomes difficult leading to tragic mistakes and loss of innocent lives."

physical harm done to something

"The storm caused serious damage to the roof."

"The storm caused significant damage to the roof tearing off shingles and allowing rain to pour into the attic damaging stored belongings."

to attack someone or something using explosive devices

"Enemy planes bomb the city at night."

"The enemy planes attempted to bomb the bridge but missed their target completely."

free from conflict, violence, or disorder

"The village was peaceful."

"Despite the surrounding turmoil, the monastery remained a remarkably peaceful sanctuary for contemplation."

characterized by or involving a great deal of violence and bloodshed

"It was a bloody battle."

"The bloody towel was evidence that someone had been hurt in the fight last night."

to aim to shoot at or attack a certain person or thing

"Archers target the center of the bullseye."

"The advertisement campaign will target young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty five."

the action or process of causing significant damage to something, rendering it unable to exist or continue in its normal state

"The destruction was massive."

"The destruction caused by the earthquake was unimaginable with entire neighborhoods reduced to piles of rubble and twisted metal."

to officially ask someone a series of questions about something

"They will question him."

"The detectives will question the witness extensively about the events of that night."