Travers
/ˈtrævərs/noun
A barrier or wall built across a passage, trench, or fortification to provide protection or impede movement.
Did you know?In military engineering, traverses were built across trenches to block enfilading fire—shots traveling along the trench and striking soldiers in a deadly line.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wert-
“To turn or become turned”
Classical Latin
Latin
transversus
“Turned across or lying crosswise”
12th Century
Old French
traverse
“A crossing, crosspiece, or something extending across”
14th Century
Middle English
travers
“A crosswise barrier or defensive construction”
Early Modern English
English
travers
“A barrier across a passage or fortification”
Modern English
English
travers
“A protective barrier or wall constructed across a trench, passage, or defensive work”