noun
- a large medieval crossbow with a mechanical device for drawing and holding the string
Usage: archaic; historical
Examples
- The soldier loaded his arbelest with a bolt before advancing toward the castle wall.
- Medieval armies relied on the arbelest as a powerful ranged weapon.
- The arbelest required significant strength to cock, making it slower to fire than a longbow.
- Knights feared the arbelest because its bolt could penetrate armor.
- Historical records describe the arbelest as one of the most effective siege weapons of the Middle Ages.