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ballista

[ buh-lis-tuh ]

/ bəˈlɪs tə /

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

an ancient military engine for throwing stones or other missiles.

Origin of ballista

1590–1600; < Latin, probably < Greek *ballistā́s, dialectal variant of *ballistḗs, equivalent to báll(ein) to throw + -istēs -ist

Words nearby ballista

ballgame, ballicatter, balliol, ballism, ballismus, ballista, ballistic, ballistic camera, ballistic galvanometer, ballistic missile, ballistic pendulum

Example sentences from the Web for ballistae

Their ballistae threw stones, weighing a hundred weight, a distance of a quarter of a mile.

For the Temple |G. A. Henty
I have now given those symmetrical proportions of ballistae and catapults which I thought most useful.

Ten Books on Architecture |Vitruvius
They are usually classed as (a) catapults and (b) ballistae (λιθοβόλοι).

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 |Various
But Belisarius placed upon the towers engines which they call "ballistae."

Procopius |Procopius

In this way the blows of ballistae and the force of fires will be repelled by them.

Ten Books on Architecture |Vitruvius

British Dictionary definitions for ballistae

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