What does arbalest mean?
An arbalest is a large, powerful crossbow developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, distinguished from earlier crossbows by its bow made of steel and by the mechanical means used to draw it. Because the stiff steel bow could not be spanned by unaided muscle, the arbalest was fitted with a windlass, cranequin, or similar device that allowed a soldier to crank the string back gradually, storing far more energy than a hand-drawn weapon could. The result was a slow-firing but devastatingly effective arm whose heavy bolts could pierce mail and even plate armor at considerable range. Arbalests were widely used by infantry and mercenary companies from roughly the twelfth century onward, before firearms gradually displaced them. Today the word appears chiefly in military history, museum contexts, and fantasy literature or games, where it evokes the formidable siege-and-field weaponry of the medieval battlefield.
nounA powerful medieval crossbow with a heavy steel bow, typically drawn by a crank or windlass rather than by hand, capable of firing bolts with great force.
- A heavy medieval crossbow with a steel bow, drawn by a windlass or cranequin and firing short bolts with great penetrating power.
"The castle's defenders braced their arbalests along the battlements as the enemy approached."
"Genoese mercenaries armed with arbalests formed the front line at the Battle of Crécy."
"In the museum's armory display, a restored arbalest demonstrated how the windlass mechanism drew back the steel bow."
Standard pluralization; the plural is common when describing troops or collections armed with the weapon.
"Dozens of arbalests lined the city walls, each crewed by two soldiers."
The arbalest was so powerful that its steel bow had to be cranked into position with a windlass — a single bolt could punch through armor that would stop ordinary arrows.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arbalest
The word 'arbalest' derives from the Latin 'arcuballista', itself a combination of 'arcus' (bow) and 'ballista' (a Roman torsion siege engine). The term passed through Old French as 'arbast' or 'arbaleste' before entering Middle English, where it appears from around the thirteenth century. It thus shares its ultimate origin with the classical ballista family of weapons, making 'ballista' and modern terms like 'ballistic' distant relatives of the word.
Related word forms
How arbalest is actually used
A historical and technical term, encountered mainly in discussions of medieval warfare, military history, fantasy fiction, and gaming. It carries connotations of late-medieval engineering and armored combat, and is rarely used outside these contexts.
Easily confused with arbalest
An arbalest is specifically the later, more powerful form of crossbow with a steel bow drawn by mechanical aid, whereas 'crossbow' refers to the weapon type generally.
'Arbalist' is simply an older or alternate spelling of the same word, sometimes also used to mean the person who operates the weapon.