glacis
9.9
A gentle open slope in front of a fort that exposes attackers to defenders' fire
- noun
- /ˈɡleɪsɪs/
- Specialized
:
glacis
- This belt of territories, part of Germany's traditional eastern glacis, Hitler had effectively abandoned to Stalin, just as he recklessly abandoned so much of what traditional notions of security required the German nation to maintain.
Examples
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Stalin could thereby create a new and large defensive glacis against the Germans.
Academic text (1996) -
He had to take over half of Poland to secure a defensive glacis to the west, had to take over part of Romania, and had to "sovietize" the Baltic states.
Academic text (1999) -
The soldiers advanced up the glacis, where they were exposed to the enemy's fire.
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Defending the fortification required careful planning of the glacis to deter attackers.
-
The glacis in front of the castle provided a clear line of sight for the archers.
How Steep
Surface Forms
Etymology
Glacis comes from the French word glace, which means 'ice' or a smooth, shiny surface; picture a wide, open slope in front of a fort like a sheet of ice that shows anyone coming up the hill. So a glacis is a gentle slope made to keep attackers visible.