Definitions

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

  • noun A platform or level ground surface on which heavy guns are mounted.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In fortification, the top, platform, or horizontal surface of a rampart, on which the cannon are placed.
  • noun The plane of site or level surface around a field-work.

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

  • noun (Fort.) The top, platform, or horizontal surface, of a rampart, on which the cannon are placed. See Illust. of casemate.
  • noun (Civ. Engin.) An embankment of earth with a broad level top, which is sometimes excavated to form a continuation of an elevated canal across a valley.

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

  • noun military A level space, often at the top of a rampart, and behind a parapet, on which artillery can be mounted

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

  • noun level space where heavy guns can be mounted behind the parapet at the top of a rampart

Etymologies

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

[French terreplein, from Italian terrapieno, from terrapienare, to fill with earth : terra, earth (from Latin; see ters- in Indo-European roots) + pieno, full (from Latin plēnus; see pelə- in Indo-European roots).]

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