arbalest

English

Alternative forms

• arbelest, arbalet, arbalist, arblast

Etymology

From Middle English arblast, from Old French arbaleste (modern arbalète), from Late Latin arcuballista, from Latin arcus + ballista.

Noun

arbalest (plural arbalests)

1. A steel crossbow.
   • 2011, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jerusalem: The Biography – A History of the Middle East, page 329:

     He excelled with the arbalest steel crossbow, winning the nickname the Arbalestier and joined Bahriyya regiment, the crack soldiers who defeated the Crusaders and became known as the Turkish Lions and the Islamic Templars.

2. A crossbowman who uses an arbalest.

Derived terms

• arbalester

 

Translations

late form of medieval crossbow

• Esperanto: arbalesto
• German: Arbalest f
• Ido: arbalesto (io)
• Malagasy: arbaleta (mg)
• Polish: arbalet m
• Portuguese: arbaleta f
• Russian: арбале́т (ru) m (arbalét)
• Serbo-Croatian: samostrel

Anagrams

• arbalets