trou-de-loup

[ trood-l-oo ]
/ ˌtrud lˈu /

noun, plural trous-de-loup [trood-l-oo] /ˌtrud lˈu/. Military.

a conical or pyramidal pit with a pointed stake fixed vertically in the center, rows of which are dug in front of a fortification to hinder an enemy's approach, formerly used chiefly against cavalry.

Origin of trou-de-loup

1780–90; < French: literally, wolf hole

Example sentences from the Web for trous-de-loup

  • Beyond the two ditches, were trous-de-loup, or wolf-traps, from twenty to seventy feet apart.

    Cuba |Arthur D. Hall

British Dictionary definitions for trous-de-loup

trous-de-loup
/ (ˌtruːdəˈluː) /

noun plural trous-de-loup (ˌtruːdəˈluː)

military any of a series of conical-shaped pits with a stake fixed in the centre, formerly used as protection against enemy cavalry

Word Origin for trous-de-loup

C18: from French, literally: wolf's holes