abatis
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1 military defense (n.) C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical Lawa barrier made of cut trees with sharpened branches pointing toward an enemy to slow them down.
a field fortification consisting of felled trees with sharpened branches directed toward the enemy, often reinforced with wire.
ExampleThe soldiers built an abatis from fallen oak trees to block the road.
ExampleThe infantry found their advance halted by a dense abatis, where sharpened timber and barbed wire created an impassable zone under heavy fire.
UsageUsually functions as a countable noun in military history contexts.
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2 mining structure (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Sciencewalls made of wood piled up in a coal mine to keep the air moving and the paths open.
a structure in coal mining consisting of cord-wood piled crosswise to maintain underground roadways and ensure proper ventilation.
ExampleThe miners stacked the wood to form an abatis along the tunnel wall.
ExampleEngineers inspected the abatis to ensure the timber stacks remained stable enough to prevent the ventilation shaft from collapsing.
UsagePrimarily used in the context of 19th and early 20th-century mining engineering.
From French abatis, abattis (“mass of things beaten or cut down”), from abattre. See abate.