arsenal

noun ar-seh-NAHL Rare

Origin: from Arabic dar al-sina'a (house of manufacture/crafts), via Italian arsenale

Also means

stockpile

Usage Note

Arsenal means a weapons stockpile or military depot, and by extension any large collection of resources: un arsenal de argumentos (an arsenal of arguments). The Arabic origin (dar al-sina'a) reflects the Moorish influence on Spanish vocabulary — many Spanish words beginning with al- or carrying industrial/craft meanings trace back to Arabic. The plural is arsenales.

Examples

"La policía encontró un gran arsenal de armas."

Natural Translation

The police found a large arsenal of weapons.

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