rearm

To rearm means to provide weapons again or to make a weapon, device, or defense system ready for use again. It is most often used in military and security contexts. A country may rearm after a period of disarmament, or a soldier may rearm before going back into battle. The word can also be used for machines or systems that have been turned off, set off, or made safe and then prepared again.

For example, a nation might rearm its air force as tensions rise near its border. An alarm system can also rearm itself after being checked and reset.

The word "rearm" usually means to arm again or to make something ready for action again after it has been used, disarmed, or weakened. It has a strong connection to weapons, war, defense, and security, but it can also be used for devices and systems that return to a ready state.

In the clearest sense, a government may rearm its military by buying new weapons, training troops, and rebuilding its forces after a time of peace or disarmament. If a conflict seems likely, leaders may decide to rearm quickly so they are not left unprepared. You may also see the word in reports about one country helping another rearm during a war.

The word is also used in a more technical way. A mine, missile system, alarm, or other protective device may rearm after it has been triggered, switched off, or reset. In this sense, the idea is not simply "to add weapons" but "to return something to a ready state."

The prefix "re-" matters here because it shows that this is happening again. Something is being armed once more, not for the first time. Because of that, the word usually suggests restoration, renewal, or a return to readiness. Although people sometimes use it in a loose figurative way, its most natural meaning still relates to weapons, defense, or systems that are prepared to act again.