# Weapons of mass destruction

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745 "2002-08-20T15:16:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745/1 "2002-08-20T15:16:27Z")

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What does the term 'Weapons of mass destruction" actually mean? Where did it come from?

I have heard this term pop out of the woodwork lately but don’t think I know (no less the news reporter) what it actually means.

I am used to a combined term for Nuclear Biological & Chemical or NBC - are these what is ment? Or is it any high yeild explosive which could include daisy cutters and dirty bombs?

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745/2 "2002-08-20T15:31:29Z")

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There a range of definitions to be found. [This webpage](http://debate.uvm.edu/wmd2002/020a.htm) lists links to a number of ‘official’ definitions.

Some examples:

> [@](#):
>
> "(1) The term “weapon of mass destruction” means any weapon or device that is intended, or has the capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the release, dissemination, or impact of–
> 
> (A) toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors;
> 
> (B) a disease organism; or
> 
> © radiation or radioactivity."

[from FY97 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 104-201, September 23, 1996]

> [@](#):
>
> “Title 18, U.S.C. 2332a, defines a weapon of mass destruction as (1) any destructive device as defined in Section 921 of this title, (which reads) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine or device similar to the above; (2) poison gas; (3) any weapon involving a disease organism; or (4) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.”

[from Title 18, USC 2332a, quoted in the [Arapahoe County Emergency Operations Plan](http://www.dola.state.co.us/oem/Terrorism/Planning/Arapahoe%20annex.htm)]

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**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745/3 "2002-08-20T16:24:20Z")

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K2Dave, you know how in the military, someone gets bored with a current, perfectly acceptable acronym, and changes it for no apparent reason, then gets a medal for doing so? Same thing. NBC-\>CBR-\>WMD-\>???

The term WMD became big where I work well before 9/11. I think I first heard it used regularly around '97-98 or so.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745/4 "2002-08-20T16:30:11Z")

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Earlier thread on WMD: [Definition of the phrase - weapons of mass destruction ?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70902)

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**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weapons-of-mass-destruction/124745/5 "2002-08-20T20:28:01Z")

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This isn’t official, but in day-to-day use WMD is equivalent to NBC. A weapon designed to kill massive quantities of people through a nuclear explosion, biological warfare, or chemical attack. A Really Big Conventional (non-nuclear) bomb wouldn’t count.

In other words, the usage I’ve heard matches the first definition that **Crusoe** gave.

As for the second definition - a missile with 4 ounces of propellant and a 1/4 ounce explosive charge is a weapon of mass destruction? Ohhh-kay.