A leather loop or harness attached to a cart or plow that allows a horse or animal to pull it; a device used in fortification involving a catapult or launching mechanism.
From French bricole, possibly from Italian broccia or related to Middle Dutch brokeel. The word entered English in the 16th century with both mechanical and fortification meanings, originally referring to equipment for pulling or launching.
Bricole is a perfect example of how medieval military technology shaped everyday language—the same word described both a farmer's plow harness and a deadly siege weapon, showing how closely connected civilian and military life were in medieval Europe.
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