弩 (nǔ) - crossbow & a mechanical weapon consisting of a bow mounted
弩 · nǔ
crossbow;
a mechanical weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles.
crossbowa mechanical weapon consisting of a bow mounted
Usage highlights
crossbowpowerful crossbowrepeating crossbowcrossbow arrowcrossbow triggercrossbowman
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The ancient army used crossbows (弩) as long-range weapons.
- He drew the crossbow (弩) and aimed at the target.
- This is a powerful repeating crossbow (连弩).
Collocations
- crossbow(弩)
- powerful crossbow(强弩)
- repeating crossbow(连弩)
- crossbow arrow(弩箭)
- crossbow trigger(弩机)
- crossbowman(弩手)
Idioms
- Like a spent arrow at the end of its flight(强弩之末)
- Draw a crossbow to shoot a mosquito(弩射蚊蚋)
- A crossbow that startles the bird(惊弓之弩)
Cultural background
FAQ- The crossbow was a revolutionary military invention in ancient China, first appearing during the Warring States period.
- It gave infantry the ability to penetrate armor at range, changing battlefield tactics significantly.
- The repeating crossbow (诸葛弩) is traditionally attributed to Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms period.