howitzer
UK[ˈhaʊɪtsə]US[ˈhaʊɪtsər]
n
a short cannon that fires shells at a high angle, used especially for firing over hills or other obstacles.
Etymology
the word 'howitzer' entered english in the late 17th century from dutch 'houwitser', which itself was borrowed from german 'haubitze'. the german term traces back to czech 'houfnice', originally a term for a catapult or sling, derived from 'houf', meaning 'crowd' or 'heap', likely referring to the weapon's use for firing stone shot in a scattering pattern. the semantic journey reflects the weapon's evolution from a medieval stone-throwing device to a modern, mobile, high-angle artillery piece, with the name persisting through technological adaptation.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single unit into english; it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
the artillery unit deployed a howitzer to shell the enemy positions on the reverse slope.
the distinctive high-arcing trajectory of a howitzer shell allows it to hit targets behind cover.
modern self-propelled howitzers can fire, relocate, and fire again with great speed.