Abatis

Definition of abatis:

part of speech: noun

Felled timber to impede an enemy.

part of speech: noun

A barricade of felled trees; in modern warfare, a barbed wire entanglement.

Usage examples for abatis:

• Little by little both Gage and his successor strengthened this post, cutting down trees for abatis and making advanced posts similar to those at Boston Neck. "The Siege of Boston", Allen French.

• Just in front of the abatis there was open ground for perhaps two hundred yards. "Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War", Various.

• The sun had been shining an hour or two, and the bridge before us and the road beyond were defended by abatis and other obstructions. "His Sombre Rivals", E. P. Roe.

• About an hundred feet from the blockhouses was to be an abatis of sharpened logs, and a mass of brush and trees, through which to move would be difficult. "Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker", S. Weir Mitchell.