ballista
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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The small nocturnal arachnid has been nicknamed the ballista spider after the ancient Roman siege weapon that launched bolts and stones using stored tension.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
"The ballista spider's snare is bioengineered to store elastic energy in the silk and rapidly release it, giving it incredible instantaneous power density -- greater than any other specialized silk-based biological catapults," said Professor Narendra.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Though it is yet to be formally named, scientists have nicknamed the tiny spider "ballista", after the ancient weapon used to hurl stones in battle.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Although many people have identified the scorpion as a type of ballista, it lacks the torsion springs that ballistae use to thrust their projectile forward with such incredible force.
From Slate ● May 7, 2019
Another carried an armful of ballista bolts and a crate of Greek fire.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
“Scorpions,” ballistae developed by Hand of the Queen Qyburn, posed the primary threat to Drogon.
From Slate ● May 13, 2019
Although many people have identified the scorpion as a type of ballista, it lacks the torsion springs that ballistae use to thrust their projectile forward with such incredible force.
From Slate ● May 7, 2019
It looked just like the illustrations Annabeth had seen in military history books—with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, and watchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
It must have used its ballistae to blast a hole straight through the ground.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
“Bah. Fine. Just don’t take too long, or I’m coming after you with ballistae blazing.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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