ballista

[ buh-lis-tuh ]
/ bəˈlɪs tə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ballista ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bal·lis·tae [buh-lis-tee]. /bəˈlɪs ti/.

an ancient military engine for throwing stones or other missiles.

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Origin of ballista

1590–1600; <Latin, probably <Greek *ballistā́s, dialectal variant of *ballistḗs, equivalent to báll(ein) to throw + -istēs-ist
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to ballista

machine gun, pistol, bomb, sword, tear gas, gun, missile, nerve gas, cannon, rifle, machete, ammunition, firearm, knife, shotgun, revolver, slingshot, catapult, dagger, spear

Example sentences from the Web for ballista

British Dictionary definitions for ballista

ballista
/ (bəˈlɪstə) /

noun plural -tae (-tiː)

an ancient catapult for hurling stones, etc
an ancient form of large crossbow used to propel a spear

Word Origin for ballista

C16: from Latin, ultimately from Greek ballein to throw
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