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obice

howitzer

noun OH-bee-cheh Rare

Origin: From German Haubitze, via Italian adaptation.

Usage Note

Obice is a military term for a short-barrelled artillery piece that fires at high angles — a howitzer. It is masculine despite ending in -e, which can mislead learners. The plural is obici. It is a specialist term found mainly in military history and journalism, not everyday speech.

Examples

"L'obice aprì il fuoco all'alba."

Natural Translation

The howitzer opened fire at dawn.

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