barbican
UK /ˈbɑːbɪkən/ · US /ˈbɑɹbɪkən/ noun, proper noun
Forms barbicans barbacan
- noun A tower at the entrance to a castle or fortified town.
- noun A fortress at the end of a bridge.
- noun An opening in the wall of a fortress through which the guns are levelled; a narrow loophole through which arrows and other missiles may be shot.
- noun A temporary wooden tower built for defensive purposes.
- proper noun A neighbourhood in Plymouth, Devon, England (OS grid ref SX4854).
- proper noun A neighbourhood and residential estate in the City of London, Greater London, England (OS grid ref TQ3281)
Synonyms
guardhouse balistraria arrowslit arrow slit arrow-hole loophole barbacan
Etymology
From Old French barbacane, of uncertain origin: compare Arabic بَرْبَخ (barbaḵ, “aqueduct, sewer”), and Persian بابخانه (bâb-xâne, “gatehouse”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A tower or advanced work defending the entrance to a castle or city, as at a gate or bridge. It was often large and strong, having a ditch and drawbridge of its own.
- noun An opening in the wall of a fortress, through which missiles were discharged upon an enemy.
Etymology [OE. barbican, barbecan, F. barbacane, LL. barbacana, barbicana, of uncertain origin: cf. Ar. barbakh aqueduct, sewer. F. barbacane also means, an opening to let out water, loophole.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “barbican”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details