Parapet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæɹ.ə.pɪt/

Definitions

1. A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony to prevent people from falling
2. A defensive or safety barrier consisting of a low wall constructed along the upper edge of fortifications, roofs, or elevated structures to shield occupants from projectiles and falls
3. An elevated protective structure built at the top perimeter of buildings, ramparts, or bridges that serves both to defend against attack and safeguard against accidental descent

Etymology: Italian builders gave us this word from two parts that were meant to be literal instructions: "para," from "parare," to ward off or shield, and "petto," meaning chest. A parapetto was a wall raised to the height of a person's breast, so that a defender could stand behind it and stay covered while still seeing over the top. The sense of a shield for the body is still visible in the word's makeup. The term passed into French as "parapet," and English borrowed it from there. Its earliest meaning was military: a breastwork on a fortification or battlement that protected soldiers firing from behind it. Over time the word broadened to cover any low wall along an edge, such as a bridge, roof, or balcony, where a fall would otherwise be possible.

Synonyms: battlement, railing, wall, fence, barrier