artilleryman

Variant of artillery

artillery definition

ar·til·lery (är til′ər ē)

noun

  1. Archaic apparatus, as catapults or arbalests, for hurling heavy missiles
  2. guns of large caliber, too heavy to carry; mounted guns (excluding machine guns), as cannon or missile launchers: artillery may be mobile, stationary, or mounted on ships, airplanes, etc.
  3. the science of guns; gunnery

Etymology: ME < OFr artillerie < artillier (prob. altered by assoc. with arte, art) < atillier, to equip; dissimilated var. of atirier: see attire

Related Forms:

artillery Idioms

the artillery

the branch of an army specializing in the use of heavy mounted guns

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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