What is a bombardment?
Q: What is a bombardment?
A: A bombardment is an attack by artillery weapons against fortifications, troops or towns and buildings.
Q: Where does the word bombardment come from?
A: The word bombardment comes from the name of the medieval artillery weapon, the bombard, which was used to fire heavy stones during a siege.
Q: What was the original use of the word bombardment?
A: Before World War I the word bombardment was only used for the attack of defenceless or undefended objects, houses, public buildings.
Q: How has the meaning of the word bombardment evolved over time?
A: Since World War I, the word bombardment has come to mean any mass attack delivered by artillery or short range missiles, and also as aerial bombardment if delivered by bomber aircraft or long range missiles.
Q: Can the word bombardment be used in other contexts besides military ones?
A: Yes, the word now is also used to describe activities in science, such as firing high energy particles like electrons into atoms in the study of nuclear reactions.
Q: Can the word bombardment be used informally?
A: Yes, the word can also be used informally, for example, a person could be "bombarded" with questions.
Q: What weapon was originally called a bombard?
A: The medieval artillery weapon that originally lent its name to the word bombardment was called a bombard and was used to fire heavy stones during a siege.
