An opening in the hull or side of a ship or fortress through which a cannon or gun can be fired.
From 'gun' plus 'port,' where 'port' comes from Latin 'porta' meaning gate or opening. The term emerged in naval architecture when ships began mounting cannons on their sides, requiring specially designed openings.
The first gunports revolutionized naval warfare—before them, cannons had to be mounted on deck where they were exposed, but gunports let ships fire from protected positions, making them dramatically harder to sink and changing sea power forever.
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