parapet

English

Etymology

From Middle French parapet, from Italian parapetto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹ.ə.pɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

parapet (plural parapets)

1. A low protective wall.
   • 2020 August 26, “Mid-September before line reopens, says Network Rail”, in Rail, page 11:

     Engineers will be closely checking the bridge for damage beyond the obvious smashed parapets.

   Hyponym: balustrade

   Coordinate term: railing

   • Balustrade definition

     A row of balusters topped by a rail, serving as an open parapet, as along the edge of a balcony, terrace, bridge, staircase, or the eaves of a building.

   • Railing definition

     A fence or barrier consisting of one or more horizontal rails and vertical supports.
2. Part of a perimeter that extends above the roof.
   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 26, in The Dust of Conflict‎^[1]:

     Maccario, it was evident, did not care to take the risk of blundering upon a picket, and a man led them by twisting paths until at last the hacienda rose blackly before them. Appleby could see it dimly, a blur of shadowy buildings with the ridge of roof parapet alone cutting hard and sharp against the clearing sky.

   • Perimeter definition

     The sum of the distance of all the lengths of the sides of an object. (1 of 5 perimeter definitions)
3. (military) A fortification consisting of a wall.

   Synonym: breastwork

   • 1938, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 1, in Homage to Catalonia‎^[2], London: Secker & Warburg:

     Obviously if you have only a few days in which to train a soldier, you must teach him the things he will most need; how to take cover, how to advance across open ground, how to mount guards and build a parapet – above all, how to use his weapons.

   • Military definition

     Characteristic of members of the armed forces. (1 of 4 military definitions)

   • Fortification definition

     The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy. (1 of 4 fortification definitions)

   • Breastwork definition

     A fortification consisting of a breast-high bulwark; a parapet. (1 of 4 breastwork definitions)

Derived terms

• keep one's head below the parapet

Translations

Further reading

• parapet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “parapet”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Czech

Noun

parapet m inan

1. windowsill, parapet

   • Windowsill definition

     The horizontal member protruding from the base of a window frame.

Declension

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian parapetto, from parare (“to shield”) + petto (“chest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa.ʁa.pɛ/

Noun

parapet m (plural parapets)

1. parapet

Further reading

• “parapet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• appâter, apprêta

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from French parapet, from Italian parapetto.

Noun

parapet m (plural parapets)

1. (Jersey) parapet

   • Parapet definition

     A low protective wall. (1 of 3 parapet definitions)

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from French parapet, from Italian parapetto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈra.pɛt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -apɛt
• Syllabification: pa‧ra‧pet

Noun

parapet m inan (diminutive parapecik)

1. sill, windowsill

   Synonym: podokiennik

   • Sill definition

     A breast wall; window breast; horizontal brink which forms the base of a window. (1 of 6 sill definitions)

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• parapet in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• parapet in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From Italian parapetto or French parapet or German Parapett.

Noun

parapet n (plural parapete)

1. parapet

Declension