Martello tower

or martello tower

[ mahr-tel-oh ]

/ mɑrˈtɛl oʊ /

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noun Fortification.

a circular, towerlike fort with guns on the top.

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Also called martello, Martello.

Origin of Martello tower

Named after Cape Mortella, Corsica, where a tower of this kind was taken by British forces in 1794

Words nearby Martello tower

martagon, Martagon lily, martel, martelé, martellato, Martello tower, martempering, marten, martensite, Martha, Martha's Vineyard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Martello tower in a sentence

Anyhow, Petit Bot is the most secret and intimate of the three, and entirely picturesque with its disused mill and martello tower.
The Channel Islands|Joseph Morris
The town was soon in flames, the shipping in the harbour sank, and the martello tower was blown to pieces.
The Great War in England in 1897|William Le Queux
In an hour, a motley cortege slowly left the door of the martello tower.
A Fascinating Traitor|Richard Henry Savage
Before Hardwicke was dressed, he had extorted the secret of the rendezvous at the old Martello tower.
A Fascinating Traitor|Richard Henry Savage

Magdalen drew her hand from the captain's arm, and led the way to the mound of the martello tower.
No Name|Wilkie Collins

British Dictionary definitions for Martello tower

Martello tower

Martello

/ (mɑːˈtɛləʊ) /

noun

a small circular tower for coastal defence, formerly much used in Europe

Word Origin for Martello tower

C18: after Cape Mortella in Corsica, where the British navy captured a tower of this type in 1794

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012