trebuchet
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of trebuchet
1300–50; Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to trebuch ( er ) to overturn, fall ( tre ( s ) across, over (< Latin trāns- trans- ) + buc trunk of body < Germanic; compare Old English būc belly) + -et -et
Explanation
A trebuchet is a kind of catapult that was used to hurl heavy stones or other projectiles during battles in the Middle Ages. Don't try using a trebuchet for a spit wad. A straw will suffice. Trebuchets were the most powerful catapults used in the Middle Ages, and they were important weapons during military siege attacks on enemy fortifications. Using a counterweight, a trebuchet could hurl an extremely large and heavy rock very fast, potentially causing a lot of damage. The twelfth century Old French word trebuchet means "siege engine," from trebucher, "to overturn or overthrow."
Vocabulary lists containing trebuchet
2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 3
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Medieval Europe - Middle School
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"Nimona" by Noelle Stevenson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At this point the trebuchet crew waves their arms, alerting us that they’re about to launch.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2025
With 10:02 left in the second quarter Saturday, UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a shotgun snap, dropped three steps and uncorked a trebuchet, as wide receiver Jalen McMillan sprinted uncovered up the seam.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2022
In 1995, they let him leave a trebuchet in, too: my childhood Royal Knight’s Castle, designed by Petersen, has a tiny rock flinger on the battlements you can flick with one finger.
From The Verge • Jun. 18, 2022
Imperious Megadeth poobah fires succession of pontifical edicts from the flaming trebuchet of his own ego.
From The Guardian • Dec. 13, 2016
The coconut hit the ground and the trebuchet arm swung up, launching the pump through the air with a ferocious zip.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
