| 释义 |
ˈarbalest, -balist, -blast Obs. exc. Hist.
Forms: α. 2–3 arblast(e, 4 arblest(e, 4, 9 arbelast(e, 5, 8 arbalust(e, (7–8 arbalet), 7–9 arbalist, 9 -est. β. 4–5 alblast, 5 alablast(e, awblast, ablast(e. γ. 4 are-, arwe-, 5 arowblast, (7 arobalist).
[a. AFr. *arb(e)leste, *arb(e)laste, OF. arbaleste (also arbeleste, arbaste, arblatt, mod. arbalète), cogn. w. Pr. arbalesta, albaresta:—L. arcuballista, f. arcus bow + ballista military engine for throwing missiles, q.v. The forms in γ are due to pop. assoc. with arrow; arbalet in 17–18th c. is after mod.F. As the word survives only in military antiquities, it has no standard modern spelling. See also arcubalist.]
1. A cross-bow, consisting of a steel bow fitted to a wooden shaft, furnished with special mechanism for drawing and letting slip the bowstring, and used for the discharge of arrows, bolts, stones, etc.
a1100O.E. Chron. (MS. D) an. 1079 Mid anan arblaste of scoten. 1297R. Glouc. 377 Myd bowe & arblaste. c1300Alisaunder 268 With atling of areblast. c1325Cœur de L. 2524 Wente alsoo faste As quarrel dos off the arweblast. c1330Arth. & Merl. 313 With arwe and bowe and alblast. c1380Sir Ferumb. 3312 Arbelastes y-mad of tre. c1400Le Bone Florence 861 They sende..quarels wyth alablaste. 1440Promp. Parv., Ablaste [1499 Alblast]), Balista. c1450in Wright Voc. 196, Hec balista, ane awblast. c1475Ibid. 264 Balista, a arowblaste. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. xxviii. 23 He bent an arblast. 1483― Gold. Leg. 314/4 A quarel..shotte out of Arbalaste. 1622Heylyn Cosmogr. i. (1682) 178 Richard the First was slain by a shot from an Arbalist. 1672Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 60 One might shoot with the Arbalet. 1693W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. 120 An Arbalist, or rather Arobalist. 1795Southey Joan of Arc viii, From the arbalast the fire-tipt dart Shot lightning through the sky. 1825Scott Talism. xii, Unbend thy arblast, and come into the moonlight. 1840Browning Sordello iv. 362 Arbalist, manganel, and catapult. 1879Green Read. Eng. Hist. xiii. 60 Six newly-headed shafts for the deadly arbalest.
2. = arbalester. (Cf. med.L. arbalista = ballistarius, Du Cange; the ending -ista commonly indicating a personal agent.)
c1450Merlin vii. 113 Viij ml. knyghtes, with-outen seriantz and arblastis. 1844Lingard Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858) I. App. 365 Odo, the arbalist.
3. A mathematical instrument, called also a Jacob's staff, formerly used to take the altitude of stars. (So in Fr.)
1816in C. James Milit. Dict. s.v. Arbalet. |