Orillon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A protective feature or low projection on a fortification, often serving as a defensive structure to shield from artillery
2. A rounded, protruding part of a bastion or fort, designed to enhance its defensive capabilities against attacks
3. An architectural element found in military structures, typically offering a vantage point and additional defense against invading forces

Etymology: The military sense of this word is a metaphor from the human body. In French, "orillon" means "little ear," a diminutive of "oreille," and the fortification feature was named for its resemblance to an ear jutting out from the side of a wall. The French word traces back to Latin "auricula" (and the variant "oricula"), itself a diminutive of "auris," the ordinary Latin word for ear. That Latin root is the same one behind English "auricle," the outer part of the ear and also a term for the upper chamber of the heart, which was named for its ear-like shape. "Orillon" thus shares its ancestry with words for the body's ear as well as with the earlier English "ear" itself, which comes from a different Germanic line.

Synonyms: corner, angle