trebuchet

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See also: trébuchet

English

trebuchet

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈtɹɛbəʃɛt/, /ˈtɹɛb.jə.ʃeɪ/, /ˈtɹɛb.ju.ʃeɪ/
  • Audio (RP):(file)
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  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: trěb’yo͞o-shet, IPA(key): /ˈtɹɛb.juˌʃɛt/, /ˈtɹɛb.jəˌʃeɪ/

Noun

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 90kg 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

Verb

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

  1. To shoot with a trebuchet.

Further reading

Anagrams


Old French

Etymology

From the verb trebuchier.

Pronunciation

Noun

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

  • English: trebuchet
  • French: trébuchet