che·val-de-frise

(shə-văl′də-frēz′)

n. pl. che·vaux-de-frise (shə-vō′-)

1. An obstacle made of stakes or spikes attached to a log, wooden frame, or metal drum and used to block enemy advancement or prevent unauthorized access.

2. A line of jagged glass or spikes set into masonry on top of a wall.

[French, Frisian horse (from its use in Friesland to compensate for a lack of cavalry) : cheval, horse + de, of + Frise, Friesland.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cheval-de-frise

(ʃəˌvældəˈfriːz)

n, pl chevaux-de-frise (ʃəˌvəʊdəˈfriːz)

1. (Military) a portable barrier of spikes, sword blades, etc, used to obstruct the passage of cavalry

2. a row of spikes or broken glass set as an obstacle on top of a wall

[C17: from French, literally: horse from Friesland (where it was first used)]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

che•val-de-frise

(ʃəˈvæl dəˈfriz)

n., pl. che•vaux-de-frise (ʃəˈvoʊ dəˈfriz)

Usu., chevaux-de-frise. a portable defensive obstacle, typically a beam from which rows of sharpened stakes protrude, used in field fortifications or to close a breach in a wall.

[1680–90; < French; literally, horse of Friesland, so called because first used by Frisians]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

cheval-de-frise - defensive structure consisting of a movable obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame; used to obstruct cavalry

chevaux-de-frise

defensive structure, defence, defense - a structure used to defend against attack; "the artillery battered down the defenses"