n. the act or process of subjecting to strong repeated blows.
n.
☞ It was a large beam, with a head of iron, which was sometimes made to resemble the head of a ram. It was suspended by ropes to a beam supported by posts, and so balanced as to swing backward and forward, and was impelled by men against the wall. Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]
(Mil.) A train of artillery for siege operations. [ 1913 Webster ]