What does abattis mean?
An abattis is a defensive obstacle used in military fortifications, constructed by felling rows of trees so that they fall in the same direction — typically toward the expected attacker — with their branches interlaced and their ends sharpened into crude points. The result is a dense, tangled barrier that is difficult to cross quickly or cut through under fire, making it a cheap and effective substitute for more elaborate earthworks. The word belongs chiefly to the vocabulary of military engineering, and it appears most often in accounts of sieges and battles from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, when armies routinely cleared woodland to protect redoubts, roads, and river crossings. In American English the spelling is usually 'abatis', while 'abattis' is the commoner British form. Though largely obsolete as a live practice, the term survives in historical scholarship and wargaming, where it denotes one of the classic field obstacles alongside chevaux-de-frise and entrenchments.
nounA defensive obstacle formed by felled trees with their branches sharpened and pointing outward toward an advancing enemy.
- A military obstacle of felled trees with sharpened branches directed toward the enemy.
"The soldiers hacked down a line of oaks to build an abattis along the ridge."
"An abattis of jagged, branch-pointing trunks blocked the approach to the redoubt."
"Engineers spent the morning constructing an abattis across the only road into the valley."
Often treated as invariable after the French model, though 'abattises' is also attested; American spelling is 'abatis'.
"Several abattis were thrown up along the road before dawn."
Before barbed wire, armies simply chopped down whole forests and pointed the sharpened branches at the enemy — the abattis was defence by deforestation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abattis
The word comes from French abattis, a noun derived from abattre ('to fell, throw down'), which traces back through Old French to Vulgar Latin *abbattere, from the Latin prefix ad- plus battere ('to beat'). It entered English in the mid-eighteenth century in the context of military engineering, retaining its original sense of 'that which has been felled'. It shares this root with English words such as abate, abatement, and battle (via Late Latin battuere, 'to beat'), all reflecting the underlying idea of striking or beating down.
Related word forms
How abattis is actually used
A technical term of military engineering, found mainly in historical writing about siegecraft and field fortifications from the 17th–19th centuries. The variant spelling 'abatis' is standard in American usage; 'abattis' predominates in British sources. The plural may be 'abattis' (invariable) or 'abattises'.
Easily confused with abattis
An abattis is a military obstacle made of felled trees, while an abattoir is a slaughterhouse.