artillery

[ ahr-til-uh-ree ]
See synonyms for artillery on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. mounted projectile-firing guns or missile launchers, mobile or stationary, light or heavy, as distinguished from small arms.

  2. the troops or the branch of an army concerned with the use and service of such weapons.

  1. the science that treats of the use of such weapons.

Origin of artillery

1
1350–1400; Middle English artil(le)rie, artelry, art(u)ry armaments, ballistic engines <Anglo-French, Middle French artillerie, equivalent to Old French artill(ier) to equip, arm, alteration, by association with artart1, of atill(i)er to set in order, put on armor (<Vulgar Latin *apticulāre, derivative of Latin aptāre to put on (armor, ornaments, etc.; see adapt); -i- for expected -ei- perhaps by association with atirier;see attire) + -erie-ery

Words Nearby artillery

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

How to use artillery in a sentence

  • The Mexican artillery soon laid a part of the fort in ruins.

  • They found a few belated sowars of the 3d Cavalry, who took refuge in a wood, and the artillery opened fire at the trees!

    The Red Year | Louis Tracy
  • Two artillery subalterns who had fought their way through a mob stricken with panic for the moment, soon arrived.

    The Red Year | Louis Tracy
  • The artillery and 81st were on the right of the line, the native infantry in the center, and the sowars on the left.

    The Red Year | Louis Tracy
  • In a few minutes the native troops found themselves confronted by the 81st and the two batteries of artillery.

    The Red Year | Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for artillery

artillery

/ (ɑːˈtɪlərɪ) /


noun
  1. guns, cannon, howitzers, mortars, etc, of calibre greater than 20 mm

  2. troops or military units specializing in using such guns

  1. the science dealing with the use of guns

  2. devices for discharging heavy missiles, such as catapults or slings

Origin of artillery

1
C14: from Old French artillerie, from artillier to equip with weapons, of uncertain origin

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