howitzer

noun

how·​it·​zer ˈhau̇-ət-sər How to pronounce howitzer (audio)
: a short cannon used to fire projectiles at medium muzzle velocities and with relatively high trajectories

Examples of howitzer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Russia's regiments and brigades of tanks, tracked fighting vehicles, mobile howitzers, and lots and lots of supply trucks simply don't exist anymore. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025 Kyiv’s capacity to produce weapons and ammunition—drones, missiles, and howitzers, among other items—has grown 35-fold since the Russian invasion of February 2022. Tamar Jacoby, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 However, drones have now taken on this role, partly due to Ukraine’s significant losses of howitzers. Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 The drone crew relayed the howitzers’ coordinates to a nearby Ukrainian battery apparently equipped with High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. David Axe, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for howitzer

Word History

Etymology

Dutch houwitser, ultimately from Czech houfnice ballista

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of howitzer was in 1695

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Howitzer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/howitzer. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

howitzer

noun
how·​it·​zer ˈhau̇-ət-sər How to pronounce howitzer (audio)
: a short cannon capable of firing a shell in a high arc
Etymology

from Dutch houwitser "howitzer," derived from a Czechoslovakian word for "catapult"

More from Merriam-Webster on howitzer

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