artillery

noun

ar·​til·​lery är-ˈti-lə-rē 

-ˈtil-rē

plural artilleries

1

: weapons (such as bows, slings, and catapults) for discharging missiles

2

a

: large bore mounted firearms (such as guns, howitzers, and rockets) : ordnance

especially : such ordnance that is capable of long-range indirect fire at a target too distant to be seen

b

: a branch of an army armed with artillery

3

: a means of impressing, arguing, persuading, or competing

… indicated that the Bureau had not rolled out its heavy artillery for a full-scale investigation.

—Herbert Mitgang

Synonyms

• guns
• ordnance

Examples of artillery in a Sentence

The troops were being bombarded by artillery.

a captain in the artillery

Recent Examples on the Web

Ukrainian officials never tire of telling their backers what’s needed now: Patriot and other air defenses, longer-range missiles, artillery shells by the million, more air power. —Tim Lister, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

Their building had not received a direct hit from an Israeli missile or artillery shell. —USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

In December, the administration approved the sale of nearly 14,000 tank ammunition cartridges and equipment to Israel, worth $106.5 million, and the sale of 155mm artillery shells and related equipment worth $147.5 million. —Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024

Since 155-millimeter caliber artillery rounds are desperately needed, Mr. Taylor suggested that an initial joint venture between Ukrainian and American firms could focus on ramping up their production. —Lara Jakes, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Oftentimes, Morgan gives back by helping causes that provided support to her or her three children — Paige Morgan, a secondary education teacher; Peyton Morgan, an artillery specialist in the U.S. Army, and the late Preston Morgan, who died of a medical condition. —Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024

With minimal convincing, Ampudia agreed to let Riley form an artillery unit and entice potential deserters. —Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024

Witnesses said civilians were killed by Israeli gunfire and tank artillery shells. —Carol E. Lee, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2024

As the war continued, those gave way to worse injuries caused by the enemy's artillery, MLRS and aviation. —Yuriy Zaliznyak, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English artilrie, artillerie "instruments of war, weapons for discharging missiles," borrowed from Anglo-French & continental Middle French artelrie, artillerie, from Old French artillier "to equip, provide with instruments of war" (alteration, probably after art "skill, craft, art entry 1" and its derivatives, of atiller, atillier "to order, adjust, put on pieces of armor") + -rie, -erie -ery; atiller, atillier going back to Vulgar Latin *apticulāre, from Latin aptāre "to put into position, bring to bear, make ready" + Vulgar Latin *-iculāre, as in *appariculāre "to prepare, equip, apparel entry 2" — more at adapt

Note: The expected outcome of *apticulāre would be *ateiller rather than atiller, which would appear to derive from *aptīculāre; the discrepancy has been explained as a result of interference from the semantically similar verb atirier, atirer "to equip, prepare" (see attire entry 1).

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing artillery

• artillery pieces
• heavy artillery
• field artillery

Kids Definition

artillery

noun

ar·​til·​lery är-ˈtil-(ə-)rē 

plural artilleries

1

: large firearms (as cannon or rockets)

2

: a branch of an army armed with artillery

artilleryman

-mən

noun