crenellate

The story

From French créneler (“to defend with crenels, make crenelated, crenelate”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Créneler is derived from Old French crenel (“crenel, embrasure (modern French créneau)”) + -er (forms verbs of the first conjugation)), further from crene (“notch”) + -el (diminutive-forming sufix), perhaps related to Latin crēna (“incision; notch”) or of gaulish origin. Equivalent to crenel + -ate.