ballista
Americannoun
plural
ballistae-
an ancient military engine for throwing stones or other missiles.
noun
-
an ancient catapult for hurling stones, etc
-
an ancient form of large crossbow used to propel a spear
Etymology
Origin of ballista
1590–1600; < Latin, probably < Greek *ballistā́s, dialectal variant of *ballistḗs, equivalent to báll ( ein ) to throw + -istēs -ist
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.
Although many people have identified the scorpion as a type of ballista, it lacks the torsion springs that ballistae use to thrust their projectile forward with such incredible force.
From Slate • May 7, 2019
The distinctive shape—two ball-shaped curves flanking an imposing central column—is much closer to Game of Thrones’ weaponry than a torsion-driven ballista.
From Slate • May 7, 2019
There were some crazy loops, like the way the ballista was enchanted, and a bunch of other stuff they played with on the storyboards.
From The Verge • Mar. 18, 2019
After Qyburn’s ballista proves utterly useless, this episode raises the stakes by showing an actual threat to the seemingly invincible dragons, which is just icing on the cake.
From The Verge • Jan. 2, 2018
There was no sign of Coach Hedge, but Leo stood amidships, calmly reloading the ballista.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.