ariete
/aˈɾjete/masculine
The Spanish word for battering ram is ariete.
An ariete refers to the siege engine used to smash through gates or walls. Metaphorically, it can also describe a person or an object that breaks through obstacles or resistance.
Meaning: type of siege engine used to smash gates and walls (noun)
Which one should you use?
The singular form is ariete, while the plural form is arietes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈɾjete/
Did you know?
- Spanish sports commentators often call a powerful striker who relentlessly attacks the opponent's defense an ariete.
- In modern Spanish, ariete is used in police and SWAT terminology to describe the handheld breaching tool used to kick down doors during raids.
- The word ariete comes from the Latin word for 'ram', the male sheep. Early siege engines were often tipped with the actual head of a ram to make them more effective at punching through wood.
Examples in context
- El ariete fue utilizado para romper la puertaThe battering ram was used to break the door
- El ariete derribó la puerta de la fortaleza.The battering ram knocked down the fortress gate.
- El ariete era muy pesado.The battering ram was very heavy.
- Usaron un ariete para abrir la puerta.They used a battering ram to open the door.
- El ariete destruyó la muralla de piedra.The battering ram destroyed the stone wall.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are visiting a museum of medieval history.
- DanielMira, María, ese es un ariete antiguo.Look, María, that is an ancient battering ram.
- MaríaEs enorme, ¿cómo podían moverlo?It's huge, how could they move it?
- DanielUsaban muchas personas para empujar el ariete.They used many people to push the battering ram.
- MaríaFue una técnica muy efectiva.It was a very effective technique.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “battering ram” translations and entries ariete, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ariete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
