Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A solid portion between two crenels in a battlement or crenelated wall.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In fortification, the plain member of masonry or other material which separates two crenelles or embrasures; a cop. See battlement.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Fort.) One of the solid parts of a battlemented parapet; a battlement. See Illust. of battlement.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun architecture, military Any of the projections between the embrasures of a battlement

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a solid section between two crenels in a crenelated battlement

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Italian merlone, augmentative of merlo, battlement, perhaps from Medieval Latin merulus, from Latin, merle (from their imagined similarity to blackbirds sitting on a wall).]

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Examples

  • But even as he made his way along the guardwalk, sensibly from merlon to merlon like an experienced soldier with a proper regard for his own skin, he found himself approving Philip's deployment of his bowmen and his espringales, and the practical way his garrison went about their defence.

    A River So Long 2010

  • The three of them dropped together, as men were dropping under every merlon along the wall, pressed into the angle of wall and flagged walk.

    A River So Long 2010

  • As soon as he felt they should be sufficiently distant, he crept hastily up the steps and flung himself through the embrasure, to flatten himself on the floor of the brattice under a merlon.

    A River So Long 2010

  • I think the interviewer is writing for people who don't know what a merlon or a vambrace are.

    Malazan at 10: An old interview with Steven Erikson Adam Whitehead 2009

  • I can't help but it sounds like the author of that article has a few sour grapes to eat and never read a Fantasy book before, or he would not stumble over words like merlon and vambrace.

    Malazan at 10: An old interview with Steven Erikson Adam Whitehead 2009

  • Standing behind the center merlon, Kharl began to search for the rebel wizard, with both order-senses and eyes.

    Ordermaster Modesitt, L. E. 2005

  • Before his head was fully behind the merlon, the entire west wall of the compound shook, and fragments flew above and against the wall.

    Alector's Choice Modesitt, L. E. 2005

  • He leaned on the merlon and listened to the faint thrum of music from below, glad of the space between it and him.

    The Falcons of Montabard Chadwick, Elizabeth 2004

  • 'Jesu,' he groaned and, feeling utterly wretched, pressed his forehead against the cold stone of the merlon.

    The Falcons of Montabard Chadwick, Elizabeth 2004

  • Gasping from his climb, Strongfist lurched to the wall, leaned against a merlon and peered through the narrow crenel.

    The Falcons of Montabard Chadwick, Elizabeth 2004

Comments

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  • "The 'teeth' of battlements, between the crenels or embrasures. High sections of battlements."

    Not to be confused with merlin.

    August 25, 2008