barbican

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bar=bi=can

CIDE DICTIONARY

barbican, n. [OE. barbican, barbecan, F. barbacane, LL. barbacana, barbicana, of uncertain origin: cf. Ar. barbakh aqueduct, sewer. F. barbacane also means, an opening to let out water, loophole.].

•  A tower or advanced work defending the entrance to a castle or city, as at a gate or bridge. It was often large and strong, having a ditch and drawbridge of its own.  [1913 Webster]
•  An opening in the wall of a fortress, through which missiles were discharged upon an enemy.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

barbican, n. the outer defence of a city, castle, etc., esp. a double tower above a gate or drawbridge.

Etymology

ME f. OF barbacane, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

barbican

abatis, advanced work, antenna tower, balistraria, bank, banquette, barbed-wire entanglement, barricade, barrier, bartizan, bastion, battlement, belfry, bell tower, breastwork, bulwark, campanile, casemate, cheval-de-frise, circumvallation, colossus, column, contravallation, counterscarp, cupola, curtain, demibastion, derrick, dike, dome, drawbridge, earthwork, enclosure, entanglement, escarp, escarpment, fence, fieldwork, fire tower, fortalice, fortification, glacis, lantern, lighthouse, loophole, lunette, machicolation, mantelet, martello, martello tower, mast, merlon, minaret, monument, mound, obelisk, observation tower, outwork, pagoda, palisade, parados, parapet, pilaster, pillar, pinnacle, pole, portcullis, postern gate, pylon, pyramid, rampart, ravelin, redan, redoubt, sally port, scarp, sconce, shaft, skyscraper, spire, standpipe, steeple, stockade, stupa, television mast, tenaille, tope, tour, tower, turret, vallation, vallum, water tower, windmill tower, work

ROGET THESAURUS

barbican

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.