ammo (English)
Where does "ammo" come from?
The word 'ammo' is a modern American English clipping of 'ammunition,' which emerged as a convenient shorthand for military supplies. By adding the informal suffix '-o,' the term transitioned from professional military jargon into a casual, everyday noun used in both combat contexts and metaphorical situations like gambling.
Full etymology tree
- ammo (English), 'Ammunition.'
- clipping ammunition (English), 'Articles used in charging firearms and ordnance of all kinds; as powder, balls, shot, shells, percussion caps, rockets, etc.'
- inherited amunition (Old French)
- derived munition (Old French)
- inherited munitio (Latin), 'a defending, fortifying, protecting'
- derived munition (Old French)
- inherited amunition (Old French)
- clipping ammunition (English), 'Articles used in charging firearms and ordnance of all kinds; as powder, balls, shot, shells, percussion caps, rockets, etc.'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris