Noun: abatis 'a-bu,tee or a-bu-tis
- A line of defence consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) pointed toward the enemy
"The soldiers quickly constructed an abatis to fortify their position";
- abattis
Derived forms: abatises
Type of: line of defence [Brit, Cdn], line of defense [US]
Encyclopedia: Abatis