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artillery fire

artillery fire

7 6.9
A heavy attack by military guns and cannons on enemy positions
  • noun
  • /ɑrˈtɪləri faɪər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fuego de artillería
  • The soldiers took cover as the enemy unleashed their artillery fire on the battlefield.

Well, don't think of the war as constant artillery fire and endless fighting.

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Examples

  • But a few minutes later, they were told to get down as artillery fire began to whiz over their heads.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • They were seeing heavy, heavier and heavier artillery fire going into into Donbass from the Ukrainian side.

  • During artillery fire, this is the most dangerous side of the street.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Wait till they get a dose of that artillery fire.

  • When they come out, they will be under enemy long-range artillery fire.

  • A German editorial blamed the destruction on American artillery fire.

    Academic text (2002)
  • When the fog lifts, any advance will surely receive a concentration of his artillery fire.

  • Right now, many other cities in Libya are under heavy artillery fire from Ghaddafi's forces.

    Blog text (22)
  • Somehow the artillery fire hadn't woken me, and neither had the grind of armored trucks racing out and returning.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Artillery fire rayed the trenches, bathing Flanders in a ghastly manmade glow visible from two miles up.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

fire
vsartillery fire
5.9

Shooting weapons at an enemy or target

is specifically the act of using heavy military weapons in attack
shooting
vsartillery fire
350 2.3

Firing a gun for practice or sport

is used for military firing of heavy weapons rather than general firearm use
shelling
vsartillery fire
51 8.3

Firing large guns at an area, often not aimed at a specific target

is the general firing action rather than the act of area bombardment
bombardment
vsartillery fire
47 7.0

A long, heavy attack with bombs or large guns on a place

focuses on the act of firing heavy weapons specifically, not the whole attack
barrage
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
14 7.6

A heavy continuous attack by large guns across an area

is the single act of firing rather than an extended saturation attack
firing
vsartillery fire
14 3.0

The act of shooting a gun

is focused on heavy weapon use in military attack rather than any discharge
volley
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
11 6.8

A sudden series of shots fired quickly, for example from guns

is the broader action of using heavy weapons over time, not a burst
salvo
vsartillery fire
8 8.6

A sudden group of gun or cannon shots fired together

is the ongoing act of heavy weapons firing, not a single rapid burst
mortar fire
vsartillery fire
7 7.9

Soldiers fire explosive shells in a high arc at a target from the ground

covers firing by any heavy weapon, not only that weapon type
cannon fire
vsartillery fire
3 4.9

Loud shots from large guns used in an attack

is the general act using heavy weapons not limited to cannons
hostile fire
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
3 7.0

An attack in which an enemy shoots at people

is the neutral act of firing heavy weapons, not necessarily enemy directed
shellfire
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
1 8.8

Heavy firing of large guns causes explosions at a place

is the broader act of firing heavy weapons, not only shells
barrage fire
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
9.3

A long heavy stream of shots from large guns across a wide area to hit many places

is the basic act of firing rather than a sustained saturation barrage
drumfire
vsartillery fire
  • Specialized
9.9

A long, very loud attack by many heavy guns firing rapidly

is the general firing act and not necessarily extremely rapid or sustained

How Intense

drumfire
  • Specialized
9.9
barrage
  • Specialized
14 7.6
bombardment
47 7.0
artillery fire
  • Specialized
7 6.9
one shot
  • Specialized
66 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

artillery + fire

The meaning 'the act of firing heavy weapons' is directly derivable from combining 'artillery' (large-calibre guns) with 'fire' (the shooting or discharge of weapons). This straightforward noun-noun composition is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the phrase.

Etymology

Artillery fire comes from the picture of many big guns shooting together: artillery are the heavy guns and fire means the shooting and explosions. So, artillery fire means 'the act of firing heavy weapons'.