machicolation

Meaning

Noun

• An opening between corbels that support a projecting parapet, or in the floor of a gallery or the roof of a portal, of a fortified building from which missiles can be shot or heated items dropped upon assailants attacking the base of the walls.
• A projecting parapet with a series of such openings.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• box machicolation
• slit machicolation, slot machicolation

Origin

• From Late Latin machicolamentum ("machicolation") -ation. Machicolamentum may be derived from Old French macher (modern French mâcher) + col + Latin -mentum. The English word is cognate with Middle English machecolled, machecolling, Middle French machecoleis (modern French mâchicoulis), Latin machecollum, Occitan machacol.