Why Is a Monthly Publication Called a “Magazine” and What Does the Word Mean in Arabic?

The word magazine is from the Arabic word makhzan, meaning “a place to store arms and ammunition.”

The word entered English to describe an ammunition warehouse or the chamber that holds bullets in a loaded gun.

In 1731, the word took on its new meaning with the publication of The Gentlemen’s Magazine.

It got its name because it held an assortment of articles of different shapes and sizes.