[f. F. bombarder (16th c.) ‘to discharge a bumbard, to batter or murder with bumbards’ (Cotgr.), f. bombard sb.: see prec. It has no immediate relation to bomb.]
† 1. intr. To fire off bombards or heavy guns. Obs. (exc. as absol. use of 2.)
1598. Florio, Sbombardare, to shoote off peals of guns, to bombard.
[1695. Lond. Gaz., No. 3096/3. Colonel Richards, with nine English Bomb Vessels … began to Bombard.]
2. trans. To batter with shot and shell; to assault with ordnance so as to destroy, disable, or reduce to submission.
1686. Lond. Gaz., No. 2211/3. General Caraffa is making Preparations to bombard Agria.
1692. Siege Lymerick, 7. We still continued to Batter and Bombard the Town very furiously.
1813. Wellington, Lett., in Gurw., Disp., XI. 33. If the town is to be bombarded, it may as well be done from the sand hills.
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., IV. 427. The admiral … thought they might anchor and bombard the town.
b. fig. To assail with persistent force or violence.
1765. Falconer, Demagogue, 405. Where fulminating, rumbling eloquence … bombards the sense.
1853. Bright, Admiss. Jews Parl., in Sp. (1876), 527. Go on year after year bombarding the Lords with this Jew bill.
a. 1884. M. Pattison, Mem., 332. Milton … bombarding Salmasius with foul epithets.
3. Cookery. To stuff (a fillet of veal).
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 93. Bombarded Veal. Cut the bone nicely out of a fillet, [etc.].
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, I. iv. (1871), 15. The tempting delicacies of bombarded veal.
