counterscarp en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- English scarp English counterscarp From counter- + scarp.
Meanings
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The outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch
—I would throw out the earth upon this hand towards the town for the scarp,—and on that hand towards the campaign for the counterscarp.—Very right, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby:—And when I had sloped them to your mind,——an’ please your Honour, I would face the glacis, as the finest fortifications are done in Flanders, with sods,——and as your Honour knows they should be,—and I would make the walls and parapets with sods too.
1659, Laurence Sterne, chapter XXX, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| counterscarps | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (12)
ota استحكامات خندقنك شیو خارجی (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · de Contrescarpe (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · el αντίκρημνο (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · ru контр-эска́рп (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · fi kontreskarppi (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · ru контрэска́рп (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · inm 𐩣𐩲𐩹𐩧 (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · fr contrescarpe (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · pl przeciwskarpa (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · ca contraescarpa (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · ga frithbhalla (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch) · sv kontereskarp (outer slope of a defensive or fortified ditch)