BATTLEMENT

Battlement

A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet, in which rectangular gaps or indentations occur at intervals to allow for the discharge of arrows or other missiles from within the defences. These gaps are termed "crenels", and a previously unbroken parapet is termed crenellation. Thus a defensive building might be designed and built with battlements, or a manor house might be fortified by adding battlements, where no parapet previously existed, or cutting crenellations into its existing parapet wall. The solid widths between the crenels are called merlons . A wall with battlements is ...

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battlement

Noun

  1. In fortification: an indented parapet, formed by a series of rising members called cops or merlons, separated by openings called crenelles or embrasures, the soldier sheltering himself behind the merlon while he fires through the embrasure or through a loophole in the battlement.
  2. Any high wall for defense.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: battlement
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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