howitzer

noun

how·​it·​zer ˈhau̇-ət-sər 

: 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

An artillery crew soldier from the Separate Rifle Battalion of the National Police in the Zaporizhzhia region prepares shells for a 155-mm Bosnian M94 howitzer in a dugout during a combat mission in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on October 15, 2026. — Anastasiia Parafeniuk, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026

Most of us would decline if asked to put a huge chunk of the team's fate on our shoulders while fighting off 100 mph howitzers. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Since 2022, Poland has bought South Korean tanks, howitzers, aircraft, and rocket artillery; more recent agreements have moved beyond off-the-shelf purchases toward technology transfers that enable production, service, and repair in Poland. — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Three guns are kept in towns along Highway 550, and all of them are old; Ouray’s howitzer dates to 1954. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Dutch houwitser, ultimately from Czech houfnice ballista

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

howitzer

noun

how·​it·​zer ˈhau̇-ət-sər 

: a short cannon capable of firing a shell in a high arc

Etymology

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