From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhowitzerhow‧it‧zer /ˈhaʊɪtsə $ -ər/ noun [countable] PMWa heavy gun that fires shells high into the air
Examples from the Corpus
howitzer• The room looks as if it was hit by a howitzer.• But like a howitzer brought out to shoot ants, it left us with other problems.• Even Reeves's younger brother, under the full blast of a howitzer shell, had stood a better chance.• An howitzer shell screamed down to smash the wheel of the last gun limber.• The company said it was selling to concentrate on building tanks, howitzers, propulsion systems and Cosworth engines.• The question is: Should we roll out the howitzer every time corruption appears?• An even more agonizing ordeal for his troops was to position the howitzers and antiaircraft guns in the hills above Dienbienphu.• Two howitzer shells exploded a few paces from his horse, both blasts beginning small fires among the rye.Origin howitzer (1600-1700) Dutch houwitser, from Czech houfnice “weapon for throwing large rocks” 