artillery

Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of large projectiles in war. The term also describes soldiers with the primary function of manning such weapons and is used organizationally for the arm of a nation's land forces that operates the weapons. This term includes coastal artillery which traditionally defended coastal areas against seaborne attack and controlled the passage of ships. With the advent of powered flight at the start of the 20th Century, artillery also included ground-based anti-aircraft batteries.
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(n.)
The science of artillery or gunnery.
  

(n.)
The men and officers of that branch of the army to which the care and management of artillery are confided.
  

(n.)
Munitions of war; implements for warfare, as slings, bows, and arrows.
  

(n.)
Cannon; great guns; ordnance, including guns, mortars, howitzers, etc., with their equipment of carriages, balls, bombs, and shot of all kinds.
  

Technically the use of heavy missiles, during the bulk of the Middle Ages the role of artillery was confined to use in the siege . During the 14th century, however, the English under the generalship of Edward III experimented with combined arms using artillery in the form of archers , infantry and cavalry with devastating effect. Cannons were known as early as 1300, their presence is noted in many sieges, such as at Harfleur and Edward’s siege of Calais in 1346, but until the early 16th century they had little effect on the battlefield proper. During the 18th century the devastating effect of artillery gave it the nickname it still carries to the current day, ‘Queen of the Battlefield.’

1 Sam. 20:40, (Heb. keli, meaning "apparatus;" here meaning collectively any missile weapons, as arrows and lances. In Revised Version, "weapons"). This word is derived from the Latin artillaria = equipment of war.