Meanings
plural artilleries
- countableuncountableLarge projectile weapons, in modern usage usually large guns, but also rocket artillery.
- countableuncountableAn army unit that uses such weapons, or a military formation using projectile weapons, such as archers.
- countableuncountableGunnery (design and manufacture of guns).
- archaiccountableuncountableWeapons, especially siege engines.
And Ionathan gaue his artillery vnto his ladde, and said vnto him, Goe, cary them to the citie.
And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. (American Standard Version)
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 20:401 more example
The old walls […] were surely strong enough to keep out men without battering-rams, balistas, or artillery of any kind. [Footnote] Artillery is here used in its old English meaning for any kind of warlike engine. Cf. I Sam. XX. 40.
1866, Charles Kingsley, chapter 24, in Hereward the Wake, London: Nelson, page 330 - IrelandUKcountableslanguncountableOne or more guns.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan army unit that uses big guns
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinaptō“to make capable”
- Vulgar Latin*apticlō
- Old Frenchartillerie“collection of military engines, crossbows, lances etc.”
- Middle Englishartillerie
- Englishartillery
From Middle English artillerie, from Old French artillerie (“collection of military engines, crossbows, lances etc.”), from artillier (“to equip, provide with contraptions”), alteration of atiller (“to arrange, adjust, put on clothes or, especially, pieces of armour”) (influenced by art), itself from Vulgar Latin *apticlō < **apticulō, from Latin aptō (“to make capable”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Vulgar Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans artillerie
- artillerieweapon
Arabic مِدْفَعِيّة
- مِدْفَعِيّة (midfaʕiyya)weapon
Bengali গোলন্দাজ, গোলন্দাজী বাহিনী
- গোলন্দাজ (gōlondaj)army unit
- গোলন্দাজী বাহিনী (gōlondaji bahini)army unit
- গোলন্দাজী (gōlondaji)gunnery (science)
- তোপ (tōp)weapon
- আর্টিলারি (arṭilari)weapon
Bulgarian артиле́рия, артиле́рия
- артиле́рия (artilérija)army unit
- артиле́рия (artilérija)gunnery (science)
- артиле́рия (artilérija)weapon
Catalan artilleria, artilleria
- artilleriaarmy unit
- artilleriagunnery (science)
- artilleriaweapon
Chinese Cantonese 火炮
- 火炮 (fo² paau³)weapon
Chinese Mandarin 炮兵部隊 /炮兵部队, 火炮
- 炮兵部隊 /炮兵部队 (pàobīng bùduì)army unit
- 火炮 (huǒpào)weapon
- 大炮 (dàpào)weapon
Czech dělostřelectvo, artilerie
- dělostřelectvoarmy unit
- artileriearmy unit
- děloweapon
Danish artilleri
- artilleriweapon
Dutch geschut, artillerie
- geschutweapon
- artillerieweapon
Esperanto artilerio, artilerio
- artilerioarmy unit
- artilerioweapon
Estonian suurtükivägi, artilleeria
- suurtükivägiweapon
- artilleeriaweapon
Finnish tykistö, tykistöoppi
- tykistöarmy unit
- tykistöoppigunnery (science)
- tykistöweapon
French artillerie
- artillerieweapon
German Geschützwesen, Artillerie
- Geschützwesenarmy unit
- Artilleriearmy unit
- Artillerieweapon
Greek πυροβολικό, πυροβολική
- πυροβολικό (pyrovolikó)army unit
- πυροβολική (pyrovolikí)gunnery (science)
- πυροβόλο (pyrovólo)weapon
Hebrew אַרְטִילֶרְיָה
- אַרְטִילֶרְיָה (artilérya)weapon
Hindi तोपख़ाना, आर्टिलरी
- तोपख़ाना (topxānā)weapon
- आर्टिलरी (ārṭilrī)weapon
Hungarian tüzérség, tüzérség
- tüzérségarmy unit
- tüzérségweapon
Icelandic stórskotalið
- stórskotaliðweapon
Indonesian artileri
- artileriweapon
Irish airtléire, airtléire
- airtléirearmy unit
- airtléireweapon
Italian artiglieria, artiglieria
- artiglieriaarmy unit
- artiglieriaweapon
Japanese 砲兵隊, 特科
- 砲兵隊 (hōheitai)army unit
- 特科 (tokka)army unit
- 大砲 (taihō)weapon
Korean 포병대, 대포
- 포병대 (pobyeongdae)army unit
- 대포 (daepo)weapon
Latin res tormentaria, tormenta
- res tormentariaarmy unit
- tormentaarmy unit
Latvian artilērija
- artilērijaweapon
Lithuanian artilerija
- artilerijaweapon
Malay artileri
- artileriweapon
Māori mīhini turaki
- mīhini turakiweapon
Norwegian Bokmål artilleri
- artilleriweapon
Polish artyleria, artyleria
- artyleriaarmy unit
- artyleriaweapon
Portuguese artilharia, artilharia
- artilhariaarmy unit
- artilhariaweapon
Romanian artilerie, artilerie
- artileriearmy unit
- artilerieweapon
Russian артилле́рия, артилле́рия
- артилле́рия (artillérija)army unit
- артилле́рия (artillérija)gunnery (science)
- артилле́рия (artillérija)weapon
Slovak delostrelectvo, artiléria
- delostrelectvoarmy unit
- artilériaarmy unit
- deloweapon
Spanish artillería, artillería
- artilleríaarmy unit
- artilleríaweapon
Swedish artilleri, artilleri
- artilleriarmy unit
- artilleriweapon
Thai ปืนใหญ่
- ปืนใหญ่ (bpʉʉn-yài)weapon
Turkish topçuluk, topçuluk
- topçulukarmy unit
- topçulukweapon
Ukrainian артиле́рія, артиле́рія
- артиле́рія (artylérija)army unit
- артиле́рія (artylérija)weapon
Urdu توپ خانَہ
- توپ خانَہ (top xāna)weapon
Vietnamese pháo, pháo binh
- pháoweapon
- pháo binhweapon
Welsh magnelaeth, magnelau
- magnelaethgunnery (science)
- magnelauweapon
- magnelaethweapon
Yiddish האַרמאַט, אַרטילעריע
- האַרמאַט (harmat)weapon
- אַרטילעריע (artilerye)weapon
Cite this entry
artillery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artillery
“artillery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artillery. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “artillery,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artillery.
Source: artillery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.