artillery
/ɑɹˈtɪləɹi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.96 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Large projectile weapons, in modern usage usually large guns, but also rocket artillery.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An army unit that uses such weapons, or a military formation using projectile weapons, such as archers.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "And Ionathan gaue his artillery vnto his ladde, and said vnto him, Goe, cary them to the citie."
- "The old walls […] were surely strong enough to keep out men without battering-rams, balistas, or artillery of any kind. [Footnote] Artillery is here used in its old English meaning for any kind of warlike engine. Cf. I Sam. XX. 40."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: artillerie, *apticlō, aptō
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɑɹˈtɪləɹi/
- British English: /ɑːˈtɪləɹi/
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Archaic
- British usage
- Slang