battlement

English

Etymology

From Old French bataillement, earlier bastillement (“fortification”), from bastillier (“to fortify, to equip with battlements”), from bastille (“fortress”) (see bastion).

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): [ˈbætəɫmənt]

Noun

battlement (plural battlements)

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.
Any high wall for defense.
(poetic) The towering roof of heaven.

Synonyms

(sense, indented parapet) crenellation

Derived terms

battlemented

Translations

indented parapet formed by a series of rising members

Bulgarian: зъбер (bg) (zǎber)
Catalan: cresteria f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 防衛牆／防卫墙 (fángwèiqiáng), 城垛 (chéngduǒ)
Czech: cimbuří n
Dutch: bolwerk (nl) n
Finnish: sakaramuuri
French: rempart (fr) m
German: Befestigung (de) f, Festungsmauer (de) f, Mauerzinne f, Zinne (de) f
Greek: πολεμίστρα (el) f (polemístra)
Ancient: ἔπαλξις f (épalxis)
Italian: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: градобран m (gradobran)
Persian: کنگره‎ (fa) (kongere)
Polish: blanki (pl) nvir, krenelaż (pl) m
Portuguese: ameia (pt)
Russian: стена́ с бойницами f (stená s bojnicami)
Serbo-Croatian: grudobran (sh) m, krunište (sh) n
Spanish: almenaje (es) m
Swedish: krenelering (sv) c
Turkish: mazgallı siper (tr), siper (tr)

References

battlement in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911