obusn.
/ˈəʊbəs/, /əʊˈbuːs/, U.S. /ˈoʊbəs/ Now rare.† 1. A howitzer. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1781 Scots Mag. Aug. 429/1 Between 4 and 5000 militia.., seven pieces of cannon, and two obusses.
1836 C. Napier Acct. War Portugal II. 95 A fire was opened from four pieces of artillery, and an obus on the picquets in front of the bridge of Cellerio.
2. A howitzer shell.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > missile > ammunition for firearms > [noun] > bullet or shell > shell > howitzer shell
howitzer1761
obus1793
1793 London Gaz. No. 13547. 603/1 The Arms of every Kind, as well as Ammunition, such as Powder, Bombs, Obuses, Bullets, Balls, Cartridges, &c.
1817 Lit. Panorama Aug. 819 The fire..communicated to the [powder] manufactory, and caused an explosion of the grenades, cartouches, and obuses, which were charged.
1871 Daily News 26 May The clean white streets [of Paris] were bestrewn with the débris of shrapnel and obus.
1917 E. E. Cummings Let. 20 July (1969) 31 6 obus dropped by Bosch all around us.
1931 Cavalry Jrnl. Apr. 177 During the short siege he met an artilleryman, who was an old friend of his, and was allowed to fire an obus into Ulm.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1781- upon the neck of
- upon the nick
- upon the night
- upon the nines
- upon the offensive
- upon the panel
- upon the parish
- upon the penalty of
- upon the perish
- upon the place
- upon the point of
- upon the point to
- upon the postfact
- upon the pulse
- upon the push
- upon the qui vive
- upon the ramble
- upon the randan
- upon the reserve
- upon the rice
- upon the river
- upon the road
- upon the rove
- upon the rud
- upon the same measure