CEFR C2

ballista

noun

Meaning

An ancient military siege engine used for launching large projectiles like stones or bolts with great force.

Examples

The engineers spent weeks constructing a functional ballista to breach the fortress gates.
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a rusted ballista near the site of the historical battlefield.

Synonyms: catapult, siege engine, trebuchet, onager

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ballista (C2)

noun

Pronunciation: /bəˈlɪstə/

Definition

An ancient military siege engine used for launching large projectiles like stones or bolts with great force.

Examples

The engineers spent weeks constructing a functional ballista to breach the fortress gates.
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a rusted ballista near the site of the historical battlefield.
During the demonstration, the reconstructed ballista successfully hurled a boulder across the training field.

How to Use ballista

operate a ballista (collocation): to use or manage the machine — "It required a team of three soldiers to effectively operate a ballista."
fire a ballista (collocation): to release the projectile — "The commander gave the signal to fire a ballista at the approaching cavalry."

Synonyms of ballista

Words with a similar meaning to ballista:

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