Bombard
/bɒmˈbɑːd/noun
To attack with heavy artillery or repeated force; also, to assail someone with many questions or pieces of information.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same sound-symbolic root behind French bombarde, a heavy cannon, so its history is literally tied to the thunder of early gunpowder warfare.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
bombard
“to attack with artillery or overwhelm with repeated force”
15th Century
French
bombarde
“a heavy cannon or siege gun”
Medieval Latin
Latin
bombarda
“a large cannon”
Late Latin / Vulgar Latin
Latin
bombus
“a humming, booming sound”
Ancient Greek
Greek
bombos
“a deep humming or booming noise”
Explore more surprising origins