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.
| a 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS. D) an. 1079 Mid anan arblaste of scoten. 1297 R. Glouc. 377 Myd bowe & arblaste. c 1300 Alisaunder 268 With atling of areblast. c 1325 Cœur de L. 2524 Wente alsoo faste As quarrel dos off the arweblast. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 313 With arwe and bowe and alblast. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3312 Arbelastes y-mad of tre. c 1400 Le Bone Florence 861 They sende..quarels wyth alablaste. 1440 Promp. Parv., Ablaste [1499 Alblast]), Balista. c 1450 in Wright Voc. 196, Hec balista, ane awblast. c 1475 Ibid. 264 Balista, a arowblaste. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. xxviii. 23 He bent an arblast. 1483 ― Gold. Leg. 314/4 A quarel..shotte out of Arbalaste. 1622 Heylyn Cosmogr. i. (1682) 178 Richard the First was slain by a shot from an Arbalist. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 60 One might shoot with the Arbalet. 1693 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. 120 An Arbalist, or rather Arobalist. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc viii, From the arbalast the fire-tipt dart Shot lightning through the sky. 1825 Scott Talism. xii, Unbend thy arblast, and come into the moonlight. 1840 Browning Sordello iv. 362 Arbalist, manganel, and catapult. 1879 Green 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.)
| c 1450 Merlin vii. 113 Viij ml. knyghtes, with-outen seriantz and arblastis. 1844 Lingard 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.)
| 1816 in C. James Milit. Dict. s.v. Arbalet. |