ballista
[ buh-lis-tuh ]
/ bəˈlɪs tə /
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noun, plural bal·lis·tae [buh-lis-tee]. /bəˈlɪs ti/.
an ancient military engine for throwing stones or other missiles.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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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. 2021
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
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