abatis

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ab=a=tis

CIDE DICTIONARY

abatis, n. [F. abatis, abattis, mass of things beaten or cut down, fr. abattre. See Abate.].

 A means of defense formed by felled trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

abatis, n. (also abattis) (pl. same; abatises, abattises) hist. a defence made of felled trees with the boughs pointing outwards.

Derivative

abatised adj.

Etymology

F f. abatre fell: see ABATE

DEVIL DICTIONARY

abatis

n. Rubbish in front of a fort, to prevent the rubbish outside from molesting the rubbish inside.

THESAURUS

abatis

advanced work, balistraria, bank, banquette, barbed-wire entanglement, barbican, barricade, barrier, bartizan, bastion, battlement, breastwork, bulwark, casemate, cheval-de-frise, circumvallation, contravallation, counterscarp, curtain, demibastion, dike, drawbridge, earthwork, enclosure, entanglement, escarp, escarpment, fence, fieldwork, fortalice, fortification, glacis, loophole, lunette, machicolation, mantelet, merlon, mound, outwork, palisade, parados, parapet, portcullis, postern gate, rampart, ravelin, redan, redoubt, sally port, scarp, sconce, stockade, tenaille, vallation, vallum, work

ROGET THESAURUS

abatis

Defense

N defense, protection, guard, ward, shielding, propugnation, preservation, guardianship, area defense, site defense, self-defense, self-preservation, resistance, safeguard, balistraria, bunker, screen, camouflage, fortification, munition, muniment, trench, foxhole, bulwark, fosse, moat, ditch, entrenchment, intrenchment, kila, dike, dyke, parapet, sunk fence, embankment, mound, mole, bank, sandbag, revetment, earth work, field- work, fence, wall dead wall, contravallation, paling, palisade, haha, stockade, stoccado, laager, sangar, barrier, barricade, boom, portcullis, chevaux de frise, abatis, abattis, abbatis, vallum, circumvallation, battlement, rampart, scarp, escarp, counter-scarp, glacis, casemate, vallation, vanfos, buttress, abutment, shore, breastwork, banquette, curtain, mantlet, bastion, redan, ravelin, vauntmure, advance work, horn work, outwork, barbacan, barbican, redoubt, fort-elage, fort-alice, lines, loophole, machicolation, sally port, hold, stronghold, fastness, asylum, keep, donjon, dungeon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle, tower of strength, tower of strength, fort, barracoon, pah, sconce, martello tower, peelhouse, blockhouse, rath, wooden walls, bulletproof vest, armored vest, buffer, corner stone, fender, apron, mask, gauntlet, thimble, carapace, armor, shield, buckler, aegis, breastplate, backplate, cowcatcher, face guard, scutum, cuirass, habergeon, mail, coat of mail, brigandine, hauberk, lorication, helmet, helm, bassinet, salade, heaume, morion, murrion, armet, cabaset, vizor, casquetel, siege cap, headpiece, casque, pickelhaube, vambrace, shako, bearskin, panoply, truncheon, garrison, picket, piquet, defender, protector, guardian, bodyguard, champion, knight-errant, Paladin, propugner, bulletproof window, hardened site, defending, defensive, mural, armed, armed at all points, armed cap-a-pie, armed to the teeth, panoplied, iron-plated, ironclad, loopholed, castellated, machicolated, casemated, defended, proof against, armored, ballproof, bulletproof, hardened, defensively, on the defense, on the defensive, in defense, at bay, pro aris et focis, Int, no surrender!, defense not defiance, Dieu defend le droit, fidei defensor, defender of the faith.