A medieval siege weapon similar to a large crossbow, used to launch heavy projectiles at fortifications.
From Italian 'balestra' and Latin 'ballista' meaning a siege machine, ultimately from Greek 'ballein' meaning to throw. The word traveled through Romance languages as the weapon technology spread across medieval Europe.
The balestra represents a sweet spot in medieval warfare—more powerful than a bow but still portable enough for sieges, which is why it terrified castle defenders.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.