Significatio vocis manuballista | Babel Free

Definitiones

1. A torsion-powered hand weapon, or possibly a crossbow
   declension-1, feminine
2. gun, firearm
   New-Latin, declension-1, feminine

Aequivalentia

Exempla

“The only contemporary account of crossbows is by Vegetius, who writes:”

“Erant tragularii, qui ad manuballistas vel arcuballistas dirigebant sagittas.”

“Some scholars take this to mean these were different weapons, manuballistae being torsion-powered and arcuballistae being crossbows. In modern Spanish and Italian a crossbow is called ballesta and balestra respectively, while in French and German it's called arbalète and Armbrust.”

Gradus CEFR