Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

terreplein

/ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
ter-re-plein
IPA
/ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/
12
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The sloping earthen embankment behind a defensive wall.

Obsolete

noun

The level platform atop a wall, typically protected by a parapet and (strictly) distinguished from the slightly higher banquette used by its defenders.

noun

Any level base used by artillery in the field.

noun

Any earthen embankment with a broad level top, such as those used for a canal elevated above a valley floor.

Etymology

Originally a borrowing of Italian terrapieno (“earth-fill(ed)”), later altered after the model of French terreplein (now terre-plein). Its former misspellings arose from confusion of the second element of the name with Italian piano or French plain, plane (“flat, level”) based on the appearance of the earth-filled central platforms of walls.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: terrapieno, terreplein

Usage

Inflected Forms

terrepleins (plural) terre-plein (alternative) terraplene (alternative) teraplene (alternative) terrepleine (alternative) terraplana (alternative) terraplane (alternative) terraplain (alternative) terreplaine (alternative) terreplain (alternative)

Synonyms

talus

Questions

How do you pronounce terreplein?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/.
What does terreplein mean?
The sloping earthen embankment behind a defensive wall.
Where does terreplein come from?
It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce terreplein

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “terreplein”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtɛɹəpleɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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