glacis
/ˈɡlasɪs
/ /ˈɡlasi/noun (plural same /ˈɡlasiːz/)
1A bank sloping down from a fort which exposes attackers to the defenders' missiles.Built in the glacis style, there is no berm but a continuous 11 m. slope from the ditch bottom to the bank top....
- Its purpose was that of a glacis of an ancient castle.
- Abutting the glacis of the Acropolis at Athens is the great theatre of Dionysis.
2 (also glacis plate) A sloping piece of armour plate protecting part of a vehicle.If it is pushed out of alignment by the glacis plate, it will detonate the mine underneath the belly of the AFV....
- The glacis plate and nose of the hull have been upgraded with the addition of passive armour and the turret has been fitted with stand-off armour.
- Other changes included adding a gun shield, a searchlight, an antipersonnel round, and belly armor that extended from the lower front glacis to about the middle of the vehicle.
Origin
Late 17th century: from French, from Old French glacier 'to slip', from glace 'ice', based on Latin glacies.