Parapets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A low protective wall that extends along the edge of a roof or balcony offers safety and serves as a barrier
2. it can also refer to fortifications or bridges that incorporate similar structures for added security and decoration
3. A short wall built along the edge of a roof or balcony to prevent falls and provide safety ; a barrier on fortifications or bridges designed to defend and protect against attacks or accidents

Etymology: "Parapets" is the plural of "parapet," and the singular has a surprisingly literal, bodily origin. The Italian "parapetto" was formed from "parare," meaning "to shield or ward off," combined with "petto," meaning "chest." A parapet, in other words, is a thing that guards the breast, the part of a defender most exposed when standing on a wall. The word passed into English through Middle French "parapet," which kept that defensive sense intact. Early uses referred to low walls on fortifications, where soldiers could stand behind the cover without being fully exposed to enemy fire. Only later did the term broaden to cover the low walls along the edges of bridges, roofs and balconies that we know today.

Synonyms: battlements, walls