Meanings
plural battlements
- In fortification: an indented parapet, formed by a series of rising members called cops or merlons, separated by openings called crenelles or embrasures, the soldier sheltering himself behind the merlon while he fires through the embrasure or through a loophole in the battlement.
Towers, and battlements it sees Bosom'd high in tufted trees, Where perhaps some beauty lies, The cynosure of neighbouring eyes.
1645, John Milton, L'AllegroSynonyms: crenellation
- poeticThe towering roof of heaven.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounIn fortification: an indented parapet, formed by a series of rising members called cops or merlons, separated by openings called crenelles or embrasures, the soldier sheltering himself behind the merlon while he fires through the embrasure or through a loophole in the battlement.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna rampart built around the top of a castle with regular gaps for firing arrows or guns
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchbataillement
- Middle Englishbatilment
- Englishbattlement
From Middle English batilment, from Old French bataillement, earlier bastillement (“fortification”), from bastillier (“to fortify, to equip with battlements”), from bastille (“fortress”) (see bastion). By surface analysis, battle + -ment.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἔπαλξις
- ἔπαλξις (épalxis)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Arabic شُرْفَة
- شُرْفَة (šurfa)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Bulgarian зъбер
- зъбер (zăber)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Catalan cresteria
- cresteriaindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Chinese Mandarin 防衛牆 /防卫墙, 城垛
- 防衛牆 /防卫墙 (fángwèiqiáng)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- 城垛 (chéngduǒ)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Czech cimbuří
- cimbuříindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Danish krenelering, brystværn
- kreneleringindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- brystværnindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- kamtakindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Dutch bolwerk
- bolwerkindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Esperanto krenelo
- kreneloindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Finnish sakaramuuri
- sakaramuuriindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
French rempart
- rempartindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
German Befestigung, Festungsmauer
- Befestigungindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- Festungsmauerindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- Mauerzinneindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- Zinneindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Greek πολεμίστρα
- πολεμίστρα (polemístra)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Italian parapetto
- parapettoindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Norwegian Bokmål brystvern
- brystvernindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Persian کنگره
- کنگره (kongere)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Polish blanki, krenelaż
- blankiindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- krenelażindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Portuguese ameia
- ameiaindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Russian стена́ с бойницами
- стена́ с бойницами (stená s bojnicami)indented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Spanish almenaje, almenado
- almenajeindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- almenadoindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- almenaindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Swedish krenelering
- kreneleringindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Turkish mazgallı siper, siper
- mazgallı siperindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
- siperindented parapet formed by a series of rising members
Cite this entry
battlement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlement
“battlement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlement. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “battlement,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlement.
Source: battlement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.