bésta

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See also: besta

Galician

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15th-century depiction. Santa María de Labrada, Guitiriz, Galicia.

Etymology

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From Old Galician-Portuguese baesta (crossbow) (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin ballista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra). Cognate with Portuguese besta and Spanish ballesta.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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bésta f (plural béstas)

  1. crossbow
    • 1295, R. Lorenzo, editor, La traducción gallega de la Crónica General y de la Crónica de Castilla, Ourense: I.E.O.P.F., page 17:
      et da Torre do Ouro esso meesmo, cõ tra[bu]quetes que y tĩjnã, que os aqueixauã ademays, et cõ beestas de torno et de outras muytas maneyras
      And the same from the Torre del Oro [a castle in Seville]: they were attacking them with little catapults and winched crossbows, and in many other ways
  2. hock (the tarsal joint of a digitigrade quadruped)

Derived terms

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References

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