noun · masculinesecond declension
pyrobolus
pyrobolus m (genitive pyrobolī)
Meaning
- New Latinmasculinecannon
Quam rem dum visum erit, experiundo condiscetis, excusso à pyrobolo de ipso lapide igni: qui profectò tam acer est, vt aridis exceptus fomentis, populosam vrbem, ac vastissimam syluam leuiter incendere possit, & in cineres illico conuertere.
1550, Antonio Mizauld, Aesculapii et Uraniae Medicum […], page 4: - New Latinmasculinebomb, shell
[…] inter tormentorum globos interludebant alii missiles ignes, bombæ nempe, ac pyroboli ex mortariis minoribus (haubitzen vocant, recens inventum) ejaculati, eo igne Conventus Monialium Annuntiatarum in Cedron, aliæque domus portæ tiegelensi vicinæ ardebant; […]
1719, Johannes Knippenbergh, “Continuatio Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ Ducatus Geldriæ Ab Anno MDCCI usque ad Annum MDCCXXV”, in Historia Ecclesiastica Ducatus Geldriæ […], page 5:
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | pyrobolus | pyrobolī |
| genitive | pyrobolī | pyrobolōrum |
| dative | pyrobolō | pyrobolīs |
| accusative | pyrobolum | pyrobolōs |
| ablative | pyrobolō | pyrobolīs |
| vocative | pyrobole | pyrobolī |
Origins
Borrowed from Byzantine Greek πυροβόλος (purobólos, “flamethrower; cannon”), from πῦρ (pûr, “fire”) + βόλος (bólos, “thrower”). Attested in Medieval Latin in Peter Damian (11th century) in reference to certain fiery rocks.