Question

arbalest noun The arbalest was the distance weapon of choice for medieval armies. It was first mentioned in 1100 in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of Saxon England. In 1622 British historian Peter Heylyn wrote that Richard the Lion-Hearted, the 12th-century English monarch, was "slain by a shot from an Arbalist." The crossbow's name is one of many terms that came into English from Old French when the Normans took control of England after the Battle of Hastings; our word is adapted from "arbaleste," the French name of the weapon. The French, in turn, derived their word from a combination of Latin "arcus" (meaning "bow") and "ballista" ("an ancient crossbow for hurling large missiles"). : a crossbow especially of medieval times

Accepted Answer

January 27, 2012 AHR-buh-list The destructive power of the arbalest was so greatly feared during the 1100s that some governments tried to outlaw its use.  "During forensic examination, it was established that the murder was made using [an] arbalest. " -- From an article in States News Service, January 19, 2011

Word	arbalest
Date	January 27, 2012
Type	noun
Syllables	AHR-buh-list
Etymology	The arbalest was the distance weapon of choice for medieval armies. It was first mentioned in 1100 in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of Saxon England. In 1622 British historian Peter Heylyn wrote that Richard the Lion-Hearted, the 12th-century English monarch, was "slain by a shot from an Arbalist." The crossbow's name is one of many terms that came into English from Old French when the Normans took control of England after the Battle of Hastings; our word is adapted from "arbaleste," the French name of the weapon. The French, in turn, derived their word from a combination of Latin "arcus" (meaning "bow") and "ballista" ("an ancient crossbow for hurling large missiles").
Examples	The destructive power of the arbalest was so greatly feared during the 1100s that some governments tried to outlaw its use. "During forensic examination, it was established that the murder was made using [an] arbalest. " -- From an article in States News Service, January 19, 2011
Definition	: a crossbow especially of medieval times

Arbalest January Medieval English French Word Crossbow Noun