howitzer
[ hou-it-ser ]
/ ˈhaʊ ɪt sər /
noun Ordnance.
a cannon having a comparatively short barrel, used especially for firing shells at a high angle of elevation, as for reaching a target behind cover or in a trench.
RELATED WORDS
pistol, bomb, sword, gun, missile, cannon, rifle, machete, ammunition, firearm, knife, shotgun, revolver, ordnance, mortar, piece, hardware, handgun, catapult, dagger
Nearby words
- howells, william dean,
- however,
- however much,
- howf,
- howff,
- howk,
- howl,
- howl down,
- howland island,
- howler
Origin of howitzer
1685–95; earlier hauwitzer < Dutch houvietser, equivalent to houviets- (< German Haubitze, Middle High German haufnitz < Czech houfnice slingshot) + -er -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for howitzer
howitzer
/ (ˈhaʊɪtsə) /
noun
a cannon having a short or medium barrel with a low muzzle velocity and a steep angle of fire
Word Origin for howitzer
C16: from Dutch houwitser, from German Haubitze, from Czech houfnice stone-sling
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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howitzer
1680s, via Dutch houwitser (1660s), German Haubitze from Bohemian houfnice "a catapult," from houf "heap, crowd," a loan-word from Middle High German hufe "heap." Introduced to German during the Hussite wars, 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper