springald

English

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈspɹɪŋəld/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Etymology 1

Apparently from spring, with an uncertain final element.

Noun

springald (plural springalds)

  1. (archaic) A young man, a stripling, a youth.
Alternative forms

Etymology 2
A springald (etymology 2).

From Old French espringale; of Germanic origin, akin to English spring.

Noun

springald (plural springalds)

  1. (historical) An ancient military engine for launching stones and arrows by means of a spring.
    Coordinate terms: ballista, catapult
    • 2007, Kelly DeVries, Robert Douglas Smith, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 138:
      The springald is a somewhat more problematic weapon as it is completely unclear whether it was the same weapon as the Roman ballista which some historians believe never disappeared from the battlefield and remained in use throughout […]
    • 2010, Matt Landrus, Leonardo da Vinci’s Giant Crossbow, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 54:
      Although generally more powerful than the great crossbow, the springald was not as versatile, since it could not be moved quickly during a siege, nor would it operate properly in wet conditions at sea.
Alternative forms
Translations

Further reading

Anagrams
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.