casemate
English
Etymology
From French casemate, from Italian casamatta. Further origin unclear, could be a compound casa (“house”) + matta (“mat (of straw), roof made of such material”), or borrowed from Greek χάσματα (chásmata) the plural of χάσμα (chásma, “gap”), presumably referring to the loopholes for shooting from.[1]
Noun
casemate (plural casemates)
- (military) A bombproof chamber, usually of masonry, in which cannon may be placed, to be fired through embrasures; or one capable of being used as a magazine, or for quartering troops.
- (architecture) A hollow molding, chiefly in cornices.
Translations
bombproof chamber as part of fortification
References
- Klein, Dr. Ernest, A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, Amsterdam: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., 1971, page=245
Further reading
- “casemate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kaz.mat/
Audio (file)
Further reading
- “casemate”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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