machicolating

Variant of machicolate

transitive verb machicolated, machicolating

to put machicolations in (a parapet, etc.)

Origin: < ML machicolatus, pp. of machicolare < MFr machicoler < *machicol, machicolation < Prov machacol < macar, to crush, beat (< VL *maccare, to crush) + col, neck: from use of machicolations for dropping stones, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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