The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mamelon \Mam"e*lon\, n. [F.]
A rounded hillock; a rounded elevation or protuberance.
--Westmin. Rev.
Wiktionary
n. A hillock; a rounded elevation or protuberance.
Wikipedia
A mamelon (from French "nipple") is a French name for a breast shaped hillock. At the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) during the Crimea War the French called a strategic hillock (location: ) the Mamelon. The British adopted the French name for the hill, but also called it Gordon's Hill.
In October 1854 the French attempted to capture the summit of the hillock with a coup de main but were repulsed with casualties of about 600 officers and men. During the winter of 1854/55 the Russians built the Kamtschatka Redoubt on the summit of the Mamelon as part of a comprehensive defensive ring of double and in some parts triple lines of continuous defensive works around Sevastopol. During the campaign season of 1855, after two more failed attempts, and following a heavy bombardment and the capture of the outlying defences, the Kamtschatka Redoubt was stormed and captured by the French in early June. During the final assault, the British took some of the outlying works and suffered casualties of 30 officers and 350 other ranks; the French in the main assault deployed many more men and suffered about three times the British casualties.
Mamelon (from French mamelon, "nipple") may refer to
- Mamelon (dentistry), a protrusion on a newly erupted tooth
- Mamelon (fort), a hillock fortified by the Russians and captured by the French during the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855)
- Mamelon (Sikasso), a hill in Sikasso, Mali
- Mamelon (volcanology), a hill formed by eruption of "stiff" lava
A mamelon (from French mamelon, "nipple") is a rock formation created by eruption of relatively thick or stiff lava through a narrow vent in the bedrock. Because the lava is not fluid, it does not flow away; instead it congeals around the vent, forming a small hill or mound on the surface. The outflow from successive eruptions forms additional layers on top, and the resulting pile of layers may stand over above the surrounding surface.
The term was coined by the French explorer and naturalist Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, to describe the central peak of the Dolomieu Crater in the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Réunion.
Hanging Rock in Australia is another example of a mamelon.
Usage examples of "mamelon".
At last the strength of the English diminished to such a point that they were at length incapable of holding the long line of trenches, and they were obliged to ask the French to relieve them, which they did by taking over the right of our attack, a measure which placed them opposite to the two Russian positions of the Mamelon and Malakoff batteries, which proved to be the keys of Sebastopol.
Many of their works, especially the Mamelon, Malakoff, and Tower batteries, were fortresses in themselves, with refuges dug deeply in the earth, where the garrison slept, secure from the heaviest fire of our guns, and surrounded by works on every side.
Fresh masses of French troops poured from their advance trenches into the Mamelon, and there was no question that that point was decidedly gained.
Our loss was very heavy, as also was that of the French in the Mamelon, which was made a centre for the Russian fire.
Gervais battery and the right flank of the Malakoff, General Brunet to fall upon the left flank of the Malakoff and the little Redan from the Mamelon, while General Mayrau was to carry the Russian battery near the careening creek.
When they get in and drive the Russians out, there they are in a big circular fort, just as they were in the Mamelon, and can hold their own, no matter how many men the Russians bring up to retake it.
The Russian admiral, Istomine, a very brave man, was killed in the Mamelon Fort.
The great and wondrous phenomenon then went on without violence—the outpouring was enormous, and the seething fused matter, ejected from the bowels of the earth, spread slowly and peacefully in the form of vast level plains, or what are called mamelons or mounds.