barbettes
|bar-bets|
🇺🇸
/bɑrˈbɛts/
🇬🇧
/bɑːˈbɛts/
(barbette)
raised gun mount
Etymology
'barbette' originates from French, specifically the word 'barbette' (a diminutive related to 'barbe'), where 'barbe' meant 'beard'.
'barbette' entered English from French; the term originally referred to a small chin-band or 'little beard' (a head-dress), then later was applied in military contexts to raised gun platforms and to armored housings on ships.
Initially it meant 'a chin-band or small beard-like cloth,' but over time it evolved to mean 'a raised or armored mount for guns' in land and naval military usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a raised gun emplacement on a fortification or earthwork from which guns fire over a parapet.
The fortress's barbettes allowed the cannons to fire safely over the parapet.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in naval architecture, an armored cylinder or protective ring that supports a ship's gun mount or connects the magazine to the turret.
The battleship's barbettes were heavily armored to protect the ammunition hoists.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a historical chin-band or strap worn by medieval women to support a headdress (archaic clothing term).
In the portrait she wore barbettes and a veil, typical of the period.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/14 15:02