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ballista

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
bal·lis·ta  (b-lst)
n. pl. bal·lis·tae (-t)
An ancient and medieval engine of warfare used to hurl heavy projectiles at a target.

[Latin, from Greek ballists, from ballein, to throw; see gwel- in Indo-European roots.]

ballista [bəˈlɪstə]
n pl -tae [-tiː]
1. (Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) an ancient catapult for hurling stones, etc
2. (Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) an ancient form of large crossbow used to propel a spear
[from Latin, ultimately from Greek ballein to throw]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ballistaballista - an engine that provided medieval artillery used during sieges; a heavy war engine for hurling large stones and other missiles
engine - an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.; "medieval engines of war"


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9) Leon Ballista Alberti, Momus (Harvard University Press) Best known for his treatise on perspective, Alberti also penned this highly amusing satirical account of Momus, the "god of fault-finding and the personification of embittered mockery," as editors Sarah Knight and Virginia Brown put it--i.
The Bear, contending that the letter "r" represents a sound universally associated with "a rattle or a whirr like a stone flung with great impetus from a sling or a javelin leaving a ballista, or a cane or rod swished through the air," argues that it therefore naturally forms parts of words having to do with speed.
Austin also has numerous engineering and training certifications with manufacturers such as Check Point Software Technologies, Internet Security Systems, VeriSign, 3Com, Ballista, Citrix and Cisco Systems.
 
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