- bailey: Castle courtyard and surrounding buildings.
- bayle: The open space contained between the first and second walls of a fortified castle; the open area within a medieval fortification; in complex sites the alley between the several layers of walls is called an “outer bailey”; the central area, the “inner bailey.”
- outer bailey: An area in a medieval castle outside the inner walls.
- outer ward: An area in a medieval castle outside the inner walls.
building / castle / battlement
- ailure: Also see allure.
- alaryne: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- alerin: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- allering: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- alleringe: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- allure: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- alrine: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- alring: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- alryne: Battlement or parapet-wall: aluryt means ‘with a parapet’ or ‘battlemented.’ 2. Gutter, gallery, or passage behind a parapet at the top of a building. 3. Alura, or clerestory gallery (e.g. at Ely Cathedral). 4. Uppermost part of a wall on which the roof-structure rests. 5. Cloister walkway. 6. Highest part of a building.
- arbalestina: Also see arbalisteria, balistraria.
- arbalisteria: Also see arbalisteria, balistraria.
- aronade: Battlement with, on the centers of straight-topped merlons, round-topped narrower uprights.
- ballistraria: Also see balistraria.
- battled: Descriptive of anything having battlements.
- battlement: A parapet wall at the edge of a roof with alternating slots and raised portions.
- brandishing: Also see brattishing.
- brattishing: Battlement, parapet, or cresting.
- carnel: An embrasure of a battlement.
- castellate: Having battlements (parapet walls with notched openings) and turrets like those of a medieval castle.
- castellated: Having battlements (parapet walls with notched openings) and turrets like those of a medieval castle.
- castellation: A short wall topped with alternating indentations and raised portions; also called a battlement.
- cop: Merlon. See battlement.
- crenel: Any one of the open spaces alternating with the merlons in a battlement.
- crenelate: To form with battlements, as a parapet; to furnish with battlements, as a building. In former times in Europe the right to crenelate was a matter of royal licensure. The adjective crenelate is sometimes used instead of crenelated, the participial adjective from the above verb.
- crenelated: Having battlements. 2. Bearing a pattern of repeated indentations.
- crenelated moldings: A molding notched or indented to represent merlons and embrasures in fortification.
- crenelation: The notched parapet or battlements at the top of a castle wall.
- crenelet: A small crenel, whether in an actual battlement or in a decorative design imitating one. 2. A small arrow loop.
- crenellate: To form with battlements, as a parapet; to furnish with battlements, as a building. In former times in Europe the right to crenelate was a matter of royal licensure. The adjective crenelate is sometimes used instead of crenelated, the participial adjective from the above verb.
- crenellated: Having battlements. 2. Bearing a pattern of repeated indentations.
- crenellated molding: Molding notched to represent the top of a fortified wall.
- crenellation: The notched parapet or battlements at the top of a castle wall.
- crenelle: An embrasure which, alternating with the elevated portions of a wall, forms a battlement.
- crenelles: Any one of the open spaces alternating with the merlons in a battlement.
- crenels: Any decorative element that simulates a space in a defensive parapet set between merlons.
- crennelation: From Latin crena, “notch.” A series of openings or large notches in a parapet. See battlement.
- embattle: To form or construct with or like battlements, i.e. with merlons and embrasures. The term is applicable alike to structures and to mere ornament resembling battlements in outline, as an embattled fret.
- embattled: Battlemented.
- embattled molding: A crenelated molding.
- embattled moldings: A crenelated molding.
- embattled sandwich molding: A molding profile with a pattern resembling a battlement.
- embattlement: Also see battlement.
- embattlemented: Battlemented.
- garetta: Also see garretta.
- garretta: A medieval term for a turret on the battlements of a castle or house to provide protection for a soldier.
- Guelphic crenellation: See battlement.
- kernel: Same as crenel.
- kirnel: Same as crenel.
- machicolation: On castles and fortifications in the middle ages, parapets were often extended out on corbels so that they projected beyond the wall and left an opening through which missiles could be launched at advancing assailants. Later this design was used as a decorative accent on towers. See also castellation and scalloping.
- merlon: The tooth of a crenelated wall; a solid between two voids.
- brattices: Wood overhead screens for castle defenders.
- hourdes: Wooden overhead screens for castle defenders.
- aleaceria: A castle, palace, or other large edifice.
- castelet: A small castle. The English form of the French chatelet; rare.
- castellet: A small castle. The English form of the French chatelet; rare.
- castle: A fortified group of buildings usually dominating the surrounding country and held by a prince or noble in feudal times.
- castrum: A castle, fort, or fortified town.
- chatelet: A castle of small scale.
- Crusader castles: Twelfth century military architecture in the Middle East, consisting of pilgrims’ forts, coastal fortifications, and large castles.
- schloss: The castle of a feudal lord.
- statio: The Latin name for a castle, citadel, or fort.
- château: A French country castle, with or without fortifications.
- forebuilding: A block in front of a keep, to form lobby or landing.
- hall keep: A rectangular keep in which the great hall and bed chamber were adjacent.
- shell-keep: The circular or oval wall surrounding inner portion of castle.
- aleois: The loopholes in castle walls through which arrows could be discharged.
- eyelet: A small opening for light and air, or for the discharge of missiles, in the wall or parapet of a mediaeval castle; usually widening toward the interior, or backed by an embrasure. The opening was usually round or square, or else extremely long and narrow; sometimes with a cross slit, or enlarged at the center or ends by a round aperture for the discharge of firearms.
- murder-hole: Small opening in the ceiling of an entrance-vestibule of a tower-house or castle from which intruders or unwelcome visitors would be inspected, or, if needs be, dispatched.
- murdering-hole: Small opening in the ceiling of an entrance-vestibule of a tower-house or castle from which intruders or unwelcome visitors would be inspected, or, if needs be, dispatched.
- corseria: A passage from one tower to another, either in the walls of a town or in a castle.
- wall-walk: A passage along castle wall.
building / castle / portcullis
- herce: Falling door of grated construction, i.e. portcullis. 2. Horizontal grating, flat or curved, fixed with prickets for candles to commemorate the dead. 3. Open metal framework over a sepulchral memorial, usually to support the pall…
- herse: A portcullis. 2. A frame for a pall over a coffin or an effigy above a tomb.
- portcullis: A grating dropped vertically from grooves to block passage of gate in castle; of wood, metal or a combination of the two.
- sarasin: A portcullis.
- sarrasine: A portcullis.
- court of guard: In the military architecture of the Middle Ages, a guardroom, the term being apparently extended from the outer court of a castle where the guard for the day were mustered.
- bratice: Wood overhead screens for castle defenders.
- spere: In medieval English residences and derivatives, a fixed screen projecting from the side of a great hall, near a door, to mitigate drafts.
- pas-de-souris: In a castle, the steps leading from the moat to the entrance.
- bicocca: Small castle or tower on a hill.
- donjon: The principal tower of a castle; keep.
- dungeon: The principal and strongest tower of a castle; the keep. 2. A dim chamber in a medieval castle, usually at the base of the keep. 3. Any dark cell or prison, usually underground.
- tenshu-kaku: The keep or donjon of a Japanese castle.
- yagura: In Japanese architecture, any turret or tower. 2. In Japanese castle architecture, any tower except the donjon.
- antemural: The outerworks or wall surrounding and protecting a castle.
- crosswall: An interior dividing wall of a castle.
Also see Architecture index.