# abatis

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abatis
Updated: 2026-05-01

## Senses

### 1. military defense

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a barrier made of cut trees with sharpened branches pointing toward an enemy to slow them down.

For teachers: a field fortification consisting of felled trees with sharpened branches directed toward the enemy, often reinforced with wire.

- The soldiers built an abatis from fallen oak trees to block the road.
- The infantry found their advance halted by a dense abatis, where sharpened timber and barbed wire created an impassable zone under heavy fire.

Usage: Usually functions as a countable noun in military history contexts.

### 2. mining structure

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

walls made of wood piled up in a coal mine to keep the air moving and the paths open.

For teachers: a structure in coal mining consisting of cord-wood piled crosswise to maintain underground roadways and ensure proper ventilation.

- The miners stacked the wood to form an abatis along the tunnel wall.
- Engineers inspected the abatis to ensure the timber stacks remained stable enough to prevent the ventilation shaft from collapsing.

Usage: Primarily used in the context of 19th and early 20th-century mining engineering.

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