abatis

Definition of Abatis in English :

1. abatis, abattis

a line of defense consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) pointed toward the enemy

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Abatis

noun fortifications

1.

a rampart of felled trees bound together placed with their branches outwards

2.

a barbed-wire entanglement before a position

nounWord forms: plural ˈabatis or ˈabattis (ˈæbətɪs ; abˈətis; ˈæbəˌtiz ; abˈətēzˌ)

a barricade of felled trees, with branches pointed toward the enemy: now often reinforced with barbed wire

n. pl. ab·a·tis (-tēz′) or ab·a·tis·es (-tĭ-sĭz)

A defensive obstacle made by laying felled trees on top of each other with branches, sometimes sharpened, facing the enemy.