trebuchet

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: trébuchet

English

[edit]
trebuchet

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Old French trebuchet, trebuket et al. (modern trébuchet), from trebuchier (to overthrow, topple), from tre- + *buchier, from Old French buc (trunk of the body), from Old Frankish *būk (belly, trunk, torso), from Proto-Germanic *būkaz (belly, abdomen, trunk), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰōw- (to blow, swell). Cognate with Old High German būh (belly), Old English būc (belly, trunk). More at bouk.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

trebuchet (plural trebuchets)

  1. A medieval siege engine consisting of a large pivoting arm heavily weighted on one end.
    Hypernym: catapult
    Coordinate terms: onager, mangonel
    Medieval trebuchets are said to have been capable of launching 90-kg projectiles over distances of more than 300 meters.
    • 2003, Helen Nicholson, Medieval Warfare, Macmillan International Higher Education, →ISBN, page 95:
      With counterweight trebuchets at its disposal, a besieging force at last had the advantage in sieges, and it was probably the appearance of the trebuchet which prompted the changes in castle design from the mid-twelfth century onwards which were described in the previous chapter: the move from rectangular to round or multiform towers []
  2. A torture device for dunking suspected witches by means of a chair attached to the end of a long pole.

Translations

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

trebuchet (third-person singular simple present trebuchets, present participle trebucheting, simple past and past participle trebucheted)

  1. To shoot with a trebuchet.

Further reading

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]

Old French

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From the verb trebuchier.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

trebuchet oblique singularm (oblique plural trebuchez or trebuchetz, nominative singular trebuchez or trebuchetz, nominative plural trebuchet)

  1. trebuchet, bird trap
  2. fall (instance of falling)
  3. place where a fall occurs
  4. trap; ambush

Descendants

[edit]
  • English: trebuchet
  • French: trébuchet