terreplein
/ˈtɛːpleɪn
/noun chiefly historical
A level space where a battery of guns is mounted.Guns usually stood on a flat terreplein, shooting over a wide earth parapet which was intended to absorb incoming fire, although they might also fire through splayed embrasures, or be housed in vaulted casemates on a lower storey....
- From behind the grass covered ramparts above, mortars and heavy guns on the surrounding terreplein would provide heavy bombardment against the enemy.
- The Medieval walls without flanks and terreplein to resist gunpowder bombardment were easy prey to the besiegers and the fortifications soon succumbed.
Origin
Late 16th century (denoting a sloping bank behind a rampart): from French terre-plein, from Italian terrapieno 'filled with earth'.