Crossword clues for barbican
barbican
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Barbican \Bar"bi*can\, Barbacan \Bar"ba*can\, n. [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.]
(Fort.) 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.
An opening in the wall of a fortress, through which missiles were discharged upon an enemy.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"outer fortification of a city or castle," mid-13c., from Old French barbacane (12c.), a general Romanic word, perhaps ultimately from Arabic or Persian (compare bab-khanah "gate-house"). Watkins identifies it as from Old Iranian *pari-varaka "protective," from *wor-o-, suffixed variant form of PIE root *wer- (5) "to cover" (see wier).
Wiktionary
n. 1 A tower at the entrance to a castle or fortified town 2 A fortress at the end of a bridge. 3 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. 4 A temporary wooden tower built for defensive purposes.
WordNet
n. a tower that is part of a defensive structure (such as a castle) [syn: barbacan]
Wikipedia
A barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway, such as an outer defense to a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Usually barbicans were situated outside the main line of defences and connected to the city walls with a walled road called the neck. In the 15th century, with the improvement in siege tactics and artillery, barbicans lost their significance. However, several barbicans were built even in the 16th century.
Fortified or mock-fortified gatehouses remained a feature of ambitious French and English residences into the 17th century.
Fortifications in East Asia also featured similar structures. In particular, gates in Chinese city walls were often defended by an additional "archery tower" in front of the main gatehouse, with the two towers connected by walls extending out from the main fortification. Called literally " jar walls", they are often referred to as "barbicans" in English.
Barbican is a type of fortified building.
Barbican may also refer to:
- Barbican Estate, a residential estate in London
- Barbican (comics), a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe
- Barbican, Plymouth, England
- Barbican Centre, an arts centre in London
- Barbican station on the London Underground
Usage examples of "barbican".
There was no barbican, but the entire area between the walls was effectively a killing ground.
Suddenly an entire area near the barbican in the outer wall exploded with bright light.
Only the outer wall remained intact, except where the barbican had been exploded.
Guy and Arutha looked down from the highest tower of the keep, overlooking the barbican of the fortification.
The final wave had breasted the wall to the south of the barbican, but the reinforcement company had filled the breach and driven them back.
Amos, Guy, and Arutha observed the invaders from their command post upon the southern barbican, the main entrance to the city.
It rolled toward the outer gates of the barbican, and nothing the defenders could do would stop it.
The gates were flung back into the barbican, twisting as they fell under the wheels of the ram.
He pointed to where the goblins had cleared the breach through the outer gate of the barbican once more and were now climbing up the inner gate.
Guy, and the company directly under his command began to fall back from the barbican, while behind them trumpeters sounded the call to withdraw.
He entered the barbican of the keep, passing the shattered outer doors.
For an instant all within the killing ground of the barbican were intent upon the splintering door, and Murmandamus stepped back into the shadows, silently laughing at the folly of other creatures.
Arutha looked down from the highest tower of the keep, overlooking the barbican of the fortification.
Guy, and Arutha observed the invaders from their command post upon the southern barbican, the main entrance to the city.
It was a handsome stone bridge with a barbican at its further end, and Thomas feared the garrison of that tower might see them, but no one called an alarm and no crossbow bolts thumped across the river.