defilade

American  

[def-uh-leyd] / ˌdɛf əˈleɪd /

noun

1. protection or shielding from hostile ground observation and flat projecting fire provided by an artificial or natural obstacle, as a hill.

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verb (used with object)

defiladed, defilading

1. to shield from enemy fire by using natural or artificial obstacles.

defilade British  

/ ˌdɛfɪˈleɪd /

noun

1. protection provided by obstacles against enemy crossfire from the rear, or observation

2. the disposition of defensive fortifications to produce this protection

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verb

1. to provide protection for by defilade

Etymology

Origin of defilade

First recorded in 1820–30; from French défil(er), originally, “to unthread” (equivalent to dé- negative prefix + (en)filer “to thread,” ultimately from Latin fīlum “thread”) + French -ade noun suffix denoting action or process; dis- ¹, -ade ¹

Example Sentences

But the Bee took its toll: foundering on defilade, 13-year-old Cynthia Kertos of Cleveland wept.

From Time Magazine Archive

The U.S. bases would have the advantage of North America's finest defilade if enemy missiles should fall short: the Alaska Range, topped by Mount McKinley, at 20,270 ft.

From Time Magazine Archive

This position commanded Fort Sanders, so that it now became necessary to defilade the fort.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 105, July 1866 by Various

By cover is meant effective defilade from the enemy's fire.

From Manual of Military Training Second, Revised Edition by Moss, James A. (James Alfred)

Luckily, they soon got under some excellent defilade, but not until they had suffered heavily.

From War in the Garden of Eden by Roosevelt, Kermit