Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ballista

/bəˈlɪstə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.02 in modern English

Syllables
bal-lista
IPA
/bəˈlɪstə/
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō) Ancient Greek βαλλίστρᾱ (ballístrā)der. Latin ballistabor. English ballista Borrowed from Latin ballista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra), from βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

ballistas (plural) ballistae (plural) ballistæ (plural)

Derived Forms

ballistic ballistics

Frequently Paired Words

catapult

Synonyms

bolt thrower

Rhymes With

vista barista hasta la vista sandinista crista bonavista guardianista recessionista camorrista

Questions

How do you pronounce ballista?
The recorded pronunciation is /bəˈlɪstə/.
What does ballista mean?
An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.
Where does ballista come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce ballista

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ballista”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bəˈlɪstə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ballista”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “ballista” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.