Meaning

noun large but transportable armament

noun an army unit that uses big guns

noun a means of persuading or arguing

originFrom Middle English artillerie, from Old French artillerie (“collection of military engines, crossbows, lances etc.”), from artillier (“to equip, provide with contraptions”), alteration of atiller (“to arrange, adjust, put on clothes or, especially, pieces of armour”) (influenced by art), itself from Vulgar Latin *apticlō < **apticulō, from Latin aptō (“to make capable”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0