hornwork

9.9

A part of a fort with two small outward towers joined by a wall to protect the main wall

noun

Archaic

: hornwork

The engineers decided to construct a hornwork to bolster the city's western wall.

Examples

The old castle's hornwork remains visible, showcasing the advanced military architecture of its time.
Many hornworks were constructed during the Renaissance.
During the siege, the defenders retreated to the hornwork for a better vantage point against attackers.
The hornwork was impressive and well-preserved.
The engineers decided to construct a hornwork to bolster the city's western wall.
During the siege, the defenders retreated to the hornwork for a better vantage point against attackers.
The old castle's hornwork remains visible, showcasing the advanced military architecture of its time.

Synonyms

crownwork

vshornwork

Specialized

9.9

A fort part that sticks out with a large central strong point and side walls running back to it

has two demi-bastions joined by a curtain without long returning flank walls

Surface Forms

hornwork singular

hornworks plural

Morphology

hornwork = horn + work (semi-transparent) = horn + work

Formed from 'horn' + 'work' so components are recognizable, but the specific technical fortification meaning is specialized and not directly inferable by an average learner.

Etymology

Hornwork comes from the parts horn and work, where horn means 'a pointed projection' like an animal's horn and work means a built structure. So a hornwork is a fortification that sticks out like horns to extend and strengthen the main walls.