artillery
noun
ar·til·lery
är-ˈti-lə-rē 
-ˈtil-rē
plural artilleries
1
: weapons (such as bows, slings, and catapults) for discharging missiles
2
a
: large bore mounted firearms (such as guns, howitzers, and rockets) : ordnance
especially
: such ordnance that is capable of long-range indirect fire at a target too distant to be seen
b
: a branch of an army armed with artillery
3
: a means of impressing, arguing, persuading, or competing
… indicated that the Bureau had not rolled out its heavy artillery for a full-scale investigation.—
Herbert Mitgang
Herbert MitgangExamples of artillery in a Sentence
The troops were being bombarded by artillery.
a captain in the artillery
Recent Examples on the Web
Russia used its advantage in artillery shells, which at times saw Moscow firing 20 artillery shells to every Ukrainian artillery shell fired, and air superiority to make advances north and west of the strategic city of Avdiivka.
—Benjamin Jensen, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
An Ukrainian serviceman carries an artillery shell to fire toward Russian positions near Donetsk on Sunday.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2025
In the last year alone, Russian forces lost approximately 4,000 tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery systems, while Ukrainian losses amounted to 1,100 units.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Russia has expected to manufacture some 7 million of its own mortar and artillery shell and 3,000 long-range missiles, Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence, said on Sunday.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artillery
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Benjamin Jensen, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
An Ukrainian serviceman carries an artillery shell to fire toward Russian positions near Donetsk on Sunday.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2025
In the last year alone, Russian forces lost approximately 4,000 tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery systems, while Ukrainian losses amounted to 1,100 units.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Russia has expected to manufacture some 7 million of its own mortar and artillery shell and 3,000 long-range missiles, Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence, said on Sunday.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artillery
Cite this Entry
“Artillery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artillery. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
artillery
noun
ar·til·lery
är-ˈtil-(ə-)rē
plural artilleries
1
: large firearms (as cannon or rockets)
2
: a branch of an army armed with artillery
artilleryman
noun
-mən
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