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ar·ba·lest also ar·ba·list

(ärbə-lĭst)

A medieval crossbow, especially one having a steel bow and a winch or other mechanism to draw the string.

[Middle English arblast, from Old English, from Old French arbaleste, from Late Latin arcuballista : Latin arcus, bow + Latin ballista, ballista; see BALLISTA.]

arba·lest′er (-lĕs′tər) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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