Trebuchet
Pronunciation : Treb"u*chet, Tre"buck*et
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OF. trebuchet, trebukiet, an engine of war for hurling stones, F. tr?buchet a gin, trap, a kind of balance, fr. OF. trebuchier, trebuquier, to stumble, trip, F. tr?bucher.]
Definition : 1. A cucking stool; a tumbrel. Cowell.
2. A military engine used in the Middle Ages for throwing stones, etc. It acted by means of a great weight fastened to the short arm of a lever, which, being let fall, raised the end of the long arm with great velocity, hurling stones with much force.
3. A kind of balance for weighing. [Obs.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913