A low defensive wall or parapet, typically found at the top of fortifications, that reaches about chest-height and allows soldiers to fire weapons while staying protected.
From 'breast' (height reaching the breast/chest) and 'work' (Old English werc, meaning construction or fortification). Military architects used this term since medieval times.
Breastworks were the quick-and-dirty forts of warfare—commanders could throw them up in days using just earth, logs, or stones, which made them crucial for sudden military campaigns and sieges!
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