trou-de-loup

[trood-l-oo]

noun, plural trous-de-loup

[trood-l-oo] /ˌtrud lˈu/. Military.

a conical or pyramidal pit with a pointed stake fixed vertically in the center, rows of which are dug in front of a fortification to hinder an enemy's approach, formerly used chiefly against cavalry.

Origin of trou-de-loup

1780–90; < French: literally, wolf hole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for trous-de-loup

Historical Examples

Beyond the two ditches, were trous-de-loup, or wolf-traps, from twenty to seventy feet apart.
Cuba
Arthur D. Hall

British Dictionary definitions for trous-de-loup

trous-de-loup

noun plural trous-de-loup (ˌtruːdəˈluː)

military any of a series of conical-shaped pits with a stake fixed in the centre, formerly used as protection against enemy cavalry

Word Origin

C18: from French, literally: wolf's holes

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