weapons and armour
Archaic term for military equipment, combining 兵 (weapons) and 甲 (armour). Found in classical texts.
In old war tales, scenes of preparing weapons and armour often appear.
Archaic metonymic use: 'weapons and armour' standing for the soldier who bears them. Rare even in classical contexts.
Archaic extended meaning: the implements of war come to stand for war itself. Extremely rare; mainly in classical Chinese-influenced Japanese.
The usage of 兵甲 to mean 'soldier' is an old expression influenced by classical Chinese.
Using 兵甲 to mean 'war' is an extremely literary turn of phrase.
Standard modern word for 'war'.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 兵 (weapon, soldier) and 甲 (armour, shell). The word is archaic and primarily appears in classical or literary contexts.