[par-uh-pit, -pet]
noun
1. Fortification.
a. a defensive wall or elevation, as of earth or stone, in a fortification.
b. an elevation raised above the main wall or rampart of a permanent fortification.
2. any low protective wall or barrier at the edge of a balcony, roof, bridge, or the like.
Origin
Italian
1575-85; < Italian parapetto, equivalent to para- para-2+ petto chest, breast < Latin pectus
parapeted, adjective
parapetless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014.
Examples for par-a-pet
And so skiers will call a snowboard a parapet.
His name is on the casino's parapet, the two marquees and slot machines.
In Cardiff this week a professor of sociology at last put his head over the parapet to reclaim his discipline's place in the sun.
British Dictionary definitions for par-a-pet
parapet
/'pær?p?t; -?p?t/
noun
1. a low wall or railing along the edge of a balcony, roof, etc
2. Also called breastwork. a rampart, mound of sandbags, bank, etc, in front of a trench, giving protection from fire from the front
Word Origin
C16: from Italian parapetto, literally: chest-high wall, from para- ² + petto, from Latin pectus breast
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for par-a-pet Expand
parapet
1590, from M.Fr. parapet "breastwork," from It. parapetto, from para- "defense" (from L. parare "prepare") + petto "breast," from L. pectus (see pectoral ).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper