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parados

[par-uh-dos]
noun Fortification.
  1. a bank of earth built behind a trench or military emplacement to protect soldiers from a surprise attack from the rear.
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Origin of parados

From French, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at para-2, reredos
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for parados

Historical Examples of parados

  • A 59 had burst on the parados of our trench, and caused—as 59's usually did—a bit of a mess.

    500 of the Best Cockney War Stories

    Various

  • "Blimey, I can't stick this," and perched himself on the parados.

  • He struggled to his feet and leaned over the parados with me.

    The Secret Battle

    A. P. Herbert

  • The work was: repair of parapet and parados knocked in by recent shelling.

  • I stood on the parados of Liverpool Trench and watched with amazement.

British Dictionary definitions for parados

parados

noun
  1. a bank behind a trench or other fortification, giving protection from being fired on from the rear
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Word Origin for parados

C19: from French, from para- ² + dos back, from Latin dorsum; compare parasol, parapet
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

Word Origin and History for parados

n.

"rear wall of a trench," 1917, earlier "elevation behind a fortified place" (1853), literally "defense from the back," from French parados, from para- "defense" (see para- (2)) + dos "back" (see dossier).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper