arbalest

or ar·ba·list

[ ahr-buh-list ]

See synonyms for arbalest on Thesaurus.com

noun

a powerful medieval crossbow with a steel bow, used to shoot stones, metal balls, arrows, etc.

Origin of arbalest

before 1100; <Old French arbaleste<Old Provençal <Late Latin arcuballista (see arc, ballista); replacing Middle English, late Old English arblast<Old French

Other words from arbalest

ar·ba·lest·er, ar·ba·list·er [ahr-buh-lis-ter], /ˈɑr bəˌlɪs tər/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use arbalest in a sentence

All this time Denys was behind his mantelet with another arbalester, protecting the workmen and making some excellent shots.
School Reading by Grades | James Baldwin
Here the arbalester gets double the wages of the archer, but in the following and other instances, his pay is the same.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe | John Hewitt
The arbalester sometimes appears in heavy armour, as in our woodcuts, Nos. 49 and 50.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe | John Hewitt
Pg 354: arbalaster is probably a variation or arbalester or arbalister: a cross-bowman.
The Poetical Works of William Lisle Bowles, Vol. 1 | William Lisle Bowles

British Dictionary definitions for arbalest

arbalest

arbalist

/ (ˈɑːbəlɪst) /

noun

a large medieval crossbow, usually cocked by mechanical means

Origin of arbalest

C11: from Old French arbaleste, from Late Latin arcuballista, from Latin arcus bow + ballista

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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