artillery
English
Etymology
From Middle English artillerie, from Old French artillerie (“collection of military engines, crossbows, lances etc.”), from artillier (“to equip, provide with contraptions”), alteration of atiller (“to arrange, adjust, put on clothes or, especially, pieces of armour”) (influenced by art), itself from Vulgar Latin *apticlō < **apticulō, from Latin aptō (“to make capable”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɑːˈtɪləɹi/
- (US) IPA(key): /ɑɹˈtɪləɹi/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
artillery (countable and uncountable, plural artilleries)
- Large projectile weapons, in modern usage usually large guns, but also rocket artillery.
- An army unit that uses such weapons, or a military formation using projectile weapons, such as archers.
- Gunnery.
- (archaic) Weapons.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 1 Samuel 20:40:
- And Ionathan gaue his artillery vnto his ladde, and said vnto him, Goe, cary them to the citie.
- And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. (American Standard Version)
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Derived terms
- artillery fungus
- artillery game
- artillery loop
- artillery mold
- artillery wheel
- field artillery
- heavy artillery
- horse artillery
- nuclear artillery
- rocket artillery
- tube artillery
Translations
weapon
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army unit
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gunnery (science)
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References
- artillery at OneLook Dictionary Search
- artillery in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911