terreplein
/ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/
terreplein noun: the sloping earthen embankment behind a defensive wall.
Noun
terreplein (plural terrepleins)
- The sloping earthen embankment behind a defensive wall.
- Synonyms:
- talus
- The level platform atop a wall, typically protected by a parapet and (strictly) distinguished from the slightly higher banquette used by its defenders.
- Any level base used by artillery in the field.
- Any earthen embankment with a broad level top, such as those used for a canal elevated above a valley floor.
Synonyms of terreplein
Forms of terreplein
| plural | terrepleins |
|---|---|
| alternative form | terre-plein |
| alternative form | terraplene |
| alternative form | teraplene |
| alternative form | terrepleine |
| alternative form | terraplana |
| alternative form | terraplane |
| alternative form | terraplain |
| alternative form | terreplaine |
| alternative form | terreplain |
Origin of terreplein
Originally a borrowing of Italian terrapieno (“earth-fill(ed)”), later altered after the model of French terreplein (now terre-plein). Its former misspellings arose from confusion of the second element of the name with Italian piano or French plain, plane (“flat, level”) based on the appearance of the earth-filled central platforms of walls.
Questions about terreplein
- What does terreplein mean?
- Terreplein means the sloping earthen embankment behind a defensive wall.
- What part of speech is terreplein?
- Terreplein is a noun.
- How do you pronounce terreplein?
- Terreplein is pronounced /ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/.
- What is the plural of terreplein?
- The plural of terreplein is terrepleins.
Words near terreplein in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: terreplein (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “terreplein.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/terreplein. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.