A parapet is a low wall or barrier along the edge of a roof, balcony, or bridge. It can also be a protective wall on a fort or trench.
From French 'parapet', from Italian 'parapetto', from 'para-' meaning 'defend against' and 'petto' meaning 'chest'. It literally means 'chest-protector'.
The word 'parapet' quietly tells you its job: it’s there to protect your chest from enemy fire or from falling. Old battlefields and modern rooftops share the same basic human worry—“don’t let me go over this edge.”
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