Adjacent Words

howitzer definitions

	Tweet

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range [syn: mortar, howitzer, trench mortar]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Dutch houwitser, ultimately from Czech houfnice ballista Date: 1695 a short cannon used to fire projectiles at medium muzzle velocities and with relatively high trajectories

U.S. Military Dictionary

1. A cannon that combines certain characteristics of guns and mortars. The howitzer delivers projectiles with medium velocities, either by low or high trajectories. 2. Normally a cannon with a tube length of 20 to 30 calibers; however, the tube length can exceed 30 calibers and still be considered a howitzer when the high angle fire zoning solution permits range overlap between charges. See also gun; mortar.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a short gun for high-angle firing of shells at low velocities. Etymology: Du. houwitser f. G Haubitze f. Czech houfnice catapult

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Howitzer How"itz*er, n. [G. haubitze, formerly hauffnitz, Bohem. haufnice, orig., a sling.] (Mil.) (a) A gun so short that the projectile, which was hollow, could be put in its place by hand; a kind of mortar. [Obs.] (b) A short, light, largebore cannon, usually having a chamber of smaller diameter than the rest of the bore, and intended to throw large projectiles with comparatively small charges.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(howitzers) A howitzer is a large gun with a short barrel, which fires shells high up into the air so that they will drop down onto the target. N-COUNT