Meaning & use

trebuchet

noun·Advanced

A large medieval siege weapon that used a counterweight and a long arm to hurl heavy projectiles at fortifications.

See it in a sentence

The besieging army used a trebuchet to launch boulders over the castle walls.

Students built a small trebuchet in class to demonstrate principles of leverage and energy.

A note on using this word

A trebuchet differs from a catapult in using a swinging counterweight rather than tension or torsion to generate force.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “trebuchet”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.