Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A low protective wall or railing along the edge of a raised structure such as a roof or balcony.
  • noun An earthen or stone embankment protecting soldiers from enemy fire. synonym: bulwark.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A wall or rampart rising breast-high.
  • noun In architecture, a wall or barrier, either plain or ornamented, placed at the edges of platforms or balconies, roofs of houses, sides of bridges, etc., to prevent people from falling over; also, something resembling such a parapet in appearance or use. See cut under moucharaby.
  • noun In anatomy, the alveolus, or alveolar border of the jawbone, in which the teeth are inserted.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Arch.) A low wall, especially one serving to protect the edge of a platform, roof, bridge, or the like.
  • noun (Fort.) A wall, rampart, or elevation of earth, for covering soldiers from an enemy's fire; a breastwork. See Illust. of Casemate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A low retaining wall.
  • noun Part of a perimeter that extends above the roof.
  • noun A fortification consisting of a wall.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony
  • noun fortification consisting of a low wall

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Italian parapetto : parare, to shield; see parasol + petto, chest (from Latin pectus).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French parapet.

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Examples

Comments

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  • What a strange pet.

    July 22, 2008

  • I have two cats; thus, a parapet.

    October 30, 2008

  • Heehee!

    October 30, 2008