merlon Meaning & Definition
What Does Merlon Mean?
Merlon is a noun that means Any of the upright projections between the embrasures of a battlement, originally for archers to shield behind while shooting arrows over the embrasures, or through loopholes in the merlons.
Merlon: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɜːlən/ |
| Plural | merlons |
Merlon Definition (Noun)
- Any of the upright projections between the embrasures of a battlement, originally for archers to shield behind while shooting arrows over the embrasures, or through loopholes in the merlons.
Noun
- Alternative spelling of merlin (“a small falcon, Falco columbarius”).
Synonyms of Merlon
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Merlon synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
merlon (plural merlons)
Words That Rhyme With Merlon
Origin of Merlon
Origin 1: Borrowed from French merlon, from Italian merlone (“merlon”), from merlo (“merlon”) + -one (suffix forming augmentatives). Merlo is derived from Late Latin merulus, merlus, possibly from Latin merula (“blackbird”) (as merlons resemble a row of birds perched on a wall),[1] from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ems- (“black; blackbird”). The English word is cognate with Italian mergolo (“battlement; pinnacle”), Portuguese merlão, Spanish merlón (“merlon”).[1]
Origin 2: A variant of merlin.