balister

English

Alternative forms

• ballister

Etymology

From Old French balestre. See ballista.

Noun

balister (plural balisters)

1. (obsolete) A crossbow.
   • 1688, Gabriel Dellon, The History of the Inquisition as it is Exercised at Goa:

     From thence to the door of the Church was made a Gallery about three foot broad, with a Balister on each side, and both on one side, and the other were placed Benches for the Criminals and their Godfathers to sit on

2. (obsolete) An arbalister or crossbowman.
   • 1642, Thomas Goodwin, Romanae historiae anthologia recognita et aucta:

     standeth the cunning Balister

References

• “balister”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• tabliers, Albiters, blastier, librates, Libertas, altbiers, abristle