artillery

[ ahr-til-uh-ree ]

/ ɑrˈtɪl ə ri /

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noun

mounted projectile-firing guns or missile launchers, mobile or stationary, light or heavy, as distinguished from small arms.

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

the science that treats of the use of such weapons.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of artillery

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

artificial radioactivity, artificial respiration, artificial selection, artificial turf, Artigas, artillery, artilleryman, artillery plant, artio-, artiodactyl, artisan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use artillery in a sentence

Eastern Taiwan’s terrain is mountainous, and many of the 100-plus islands that make up Taiwan are riddled with tunnels, bunkers and artillery.
The Retreat from Afghanistan Has Made America's Allies Nervous. None More So Than Taiwan|Charlie Campbell / Shanghai|September 3, 2021|Time
This could include superior numbers of soldiers, better-positioned and longer-ranged artillery, or simply picking a fight in the right place where an opponent is unprepared.
Here’s how the US Army plans on winning the wars of our future|Rob Verger|August 12, 2021|Popular-Science
This can be applied to every kind of blast, from a grenade to an artillery round or a plane-dropped bomb.
The Army’s new tool for analyzing bomb shrapnel could lead to better body armor|Kelsey D. Atherton|March 3, 2021|Popular-Science
Nedergaard’s interpretation is that more experienced runners are able to zone out during easy training runs, whereas novice runners have to deploy the heavy self-talk artillery pretty much all the time to get through their runs.
What Marathoners (and Badminton Players) Think About|Alex Hutchinson|February 26, 2021|Outside Online

ISIS had tanks, artillery systems, and even 155‑ millimeter Howitzers they had taken from Iraqi forces, who had received the equipment from America.
The Women Who Fought to Defend Their Homes Against ISIS|Gayle Tzemach Lemmon|February 22, 2021|Time
Artillery fire could be heard in Avtozavodsky district, on Chernyshevskogo and Putin avenues in downtown Grozny.
Fierce Fighting in Grozny Raises Specter of ISIS Influence in Russia|Anna Nemtsova|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The other subject he taught at VMI was something he knew a great deal about, too: artillery.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In fact, he taught the most intensive artillery course in the South and very likely the equal of courses at West Point.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The “tactical” side of artillery—its use on a battlefield—was something Jackson was not called upon to explain.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jackson fared better as an instructor of artillery, a subject he was far better at explaining.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Mexican artillery soon laid a part of the fort in ruins.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
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

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

troops or military units specializing in using such guns

the science dealing with the use of guns

devices for discharging heavy missiles, such as catapults or slings

Word Origin for artillery

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

artillery

Origin of artillery

Words nearby artillery

Words related to artillery

How to use artillery in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for artillery

Word Origin for artillery