onager
- noun
- /ˈɒnəɡər/
- Archaic
:
onagro
- The Roman army used an onager to launch stones at enemy fortifications.
Examples
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The huge Greek heavy Onagers are going to be coming in, and they're going to start to rain down.
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The general ordered the construction of an onager to enhance the effectiveness of their siege weapons.
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During the siege, they deployed an onager to improve their chances of breaching the walls.
Synonyms
35
6.6
A device that launches objects forward with great force, like planes from a ship
4
9.9
A large medieval machine that throws heavy stones at walls
1
9.9
A large ancient weapon like a crossbow that fires stones or heavy bolts
A large ancient weapon that shoots heavy arrows or stones during war
A medieval machine worked by people that throws large stones with a long arm
A simple catapult that people pull by ropes to throw heavy stones
A large medieval machine with a long arm that throws heavy stones
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word onager for the Roman catapult comes from the Greek onagros, which means 'wild ass'. People named the machine after a donkey because its sudden, powerful kick looked like a donkey's kick, so the name fits a catapult that throws stones far.