Casemate

/ˈkeɪsmeɪt/ noun

Definition

A fortified gun emplacement with thick walls and a narrow opening, often found in military fortifications or warships.

Etymology

From French 'casemate,' possibly from Italian 'casamatta' (from 'casa' house + 'matta' damaged). Refers to armored chambers in 18th-century fortification design.

Kelly Says

The USS Monitor, the Civil War's revolutionary ironclad, had a rotating casemate gun turret that changed naval warfare forever—it proved that armored rotating turrets were more effective than stationary broadsides.

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