In military fortification, the outer slope of a ditch or moat facing the enemy, or the slope beneath an outer wall designed to provide additional protection.
From counter- + scarp. Scarp comes from Italian scarpa meaning a slope or cutting. The term entered military vocabulary during the development of star forts in the 15th-16th centuries and remains standard in fortification terminology.
The counterscarp was one of the most important innovations in military architecture—an outer slope that made it nearly impossible for enemies to climb into your fortification's ditch. One medieval engineer's brilliant slope saved thousands of lives.
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