casemate
/ˈkeɪsmeɪt/
Etymology
From French casemate, from Italian casamatta. Further origin unclear, could be a compound casa (“house”) + matta (“mat (of straw), roof made of such material”), or borrowed from Greek χάσματα (chásmata) the plural of χάσμα (chásma, “gap”), presumably referring to the loopholes for shooting from.
casemate means A bombproof chamber, usually of masonry, in which cannon may be placed, to be fired through embrasures; or one capable of being used as a magazine, or for quartering troops. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
casemate is pronounced /ˈkeɪsmeɪt/.
Why “casemate” is a great word
CASEMATE — [Noun] A bombproof chamber, usually of masonry, from which cannon can be fired through precisely angled apertures. From French 'casemate', from Italian 'casamatta', of uncertain further origin; possibly a compound of Italian 'casa' ("house") and 'matta' ("mat, roof made of such material"), or from the Greek plural 'chásmata' ("chasms, gaps"), referring to the openings for shooting. Unlike a "bunker" (a general subterranean shelter) or a "turret" (a projecting, often revolving tower), a casemate is a fixed, integral cell of offense within a defensive body—the fortification's clenched teeth. It is the stifling, powder-fogged interior where the gun crew works by lamplight; the geometric slice of daylight framing a distant ship through the embrasure; the low, reverberant thunder confined and directed by stone. Here, violence is given architecture, and protection is measured by the narrowness of the view.
noun
- A bombproof chamber, usually of masonry, in which cannon may be placed, to be fired through embrasures; or one capable of being used as a magazine, or for quartering troops.
- A hollow molding, chiefly in cornices.