onager Hear it!

onager Definition

ona·ger (än′ə jər)

noun pl. -·gri′-grī′ or -·gers

  1. a wild ass (Equus hemionus onager) of central Asia
  2. a catapult for throwing stones, used in ancient and medieval warfare

Etymology: ME < L < Gr onagros, wild ass < onos, ass + agrios, wild < agros, country, field: see acre

onager Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • stone-throw: The Romans adopted these weapons during the Punic Wars and further developed them, before introducing the new arrow-firing ballista and stone-throwing onager.
  • call: A larger catapult called an Onager fired stone shots weighing about 50kg and could hit a target 270 meters away!