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Glite Dictionary
battlement

battlement

14 8.0
A low wall on top of a castle with regular gaps for soldiers to shoot through
  • noun
  • /ˈbætəlmənt/
translation icon : almena
  • The soldiers took their positions along the battlement to defend the castle from attackers.

Examples

  • And suddenly we saw Mr. Edward behind her on the battlements.

    Jane Eyre (1943)

  • You couldn't see the buildings, only the scrubby slope and the high battlement of trees.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Keep your eyes straight, my Lord, take special notice of that battlement in front of you.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Let's see what that looks like from this position with giant rocks being thrown over your battlements and over your defensive lines.

  • TOMAZO leans against the battlement walls, where he last saw his brother, looking out to sea.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • In warm sunlight, Beatrice walks slowly along the length of the battlement and looks over the edge, knowingly.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Beside a tree up on the battlements, Alonso talks with his brother, Tomazo.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Beatrice stumbles slowly along the battlements, clinging to the stone wall for support.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Beatrice reaches a vantage point on the battlements and crouches down.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • We stared out across the New City from the Disney-white battlements of Fishermen's Bastion.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

parapet
vsbattlement
8 7.2

A low wall at the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony to stop people from falling

is the specific top defensive wall that usually has regular shooting gaps
embattlement
vsbattlement
1 8.4

A low wall with regular gaps on top of a castle for defenders to shoot from

is the defensive top wall typically designed with shooting gaps
crenellation
vsbattlement
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A row of low wall sections with gaps along the top of a castle to protect defenders

refers more to the strictly defensive form with shooting gaps
crenelation
vsbattlement
  • Specialized
9.9

A low wall with regular gaps at the top of a castle for soldiers to shoot or watch

emphasizes the practical defensive function rather than decorative use

How Fortified

keep
8 8.6
to wall
41 6.4
battlement
14 8.0
parapet
8 7.2
turret
12 7.2

Surface Forms

battlement singular
battlements plural

Morphology

battlement = battle (opaque) = battle + ment

Although the word is formally built on 'battle' plus '-ment', the specific architectural meaning of a crenellated parapet is not directly predictable from those parts.

Etymology

The word battlement comes from the old word battle ('fight'), because these parts of a wall were made for battle. So a battlement is the top of a castle wall with regular gaps to protect soldiers and let them shoot at attackers.