Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of artillery piece: A howitzer is a muzzle-loading, high-angle gun with a relatively short barrel. It is designed to fire shells at high elevations over a short to medium range, using a curved trajectory. This allows it to hit targets behind cover or on reverse slopes.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The artillery unit deployed a howitzer to provide indirect fire support.
  • The museum's collection includes a 19th-century howitzer used in the war.

Advanced Usage

• "Field howitzer": A mobile howitzer designed to be moved with an army in the field.
  • The division was equipped with modern field howitzers for rapid deployment.

Variants and Related Words

• Howitzer shell (n): The projectile fired from a howitzer.
  • The explosion was caused by an unexploded howitzer shell.

Synonyms

• Artillery piece: A general term for a large-caliber gun used in warfare.
• Cannon: A broader term for a large gun, typically mounted, but often with a longer barrel and flatter trajectory than a howitzer.

Related Phrases

• "Howitzer fire": The act of firing a howitzer or the shells it launches.
  • The advancing troops were pinned down by intense howitzer fire.

Noun

1. a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range