1. A wild Asian donkey with a reddish-brown coat, found in deserts and semi-arid regions.
Usage: Also called Asian wild ass or hemione.; Scientific name: Equus hemionus.
2. An ancient military siege engine that hurls stones or other projectiles.
Usage: Historical/archaic sense.; Used by Roman and medieval armies.

Examples

• The onager is an endangered species native to Central Asia.
• Herds of onagers once roamed the steppes of Mongolia and Tibet.
• The Roman army deployed an onager to breach the fortress walls.
• Onagers are smaller and faster than domestic donkeys.
• Medieval engineers improved the design of the onager for greater accuracy.