Martello Tower Definition

mär-tĕlō
noun
A short, circular tower, usually made of stone and located near a shoreline as a defensive fortification.
American Heritage
Any of the circular forts of masonry built in the 19th cent. by the British on coasts to protect against invaders.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Martello Tower

Noun

Singular:
Martello tower
Plural:
martello-towers

Origin of Martello Tower

  • Alteration of the name of Cape Mortella in Corsica, after Italian martello (“hammer").

    From Wiktionary

  • After Cape Martello , Corsica, where such a tower was taken by British forces in 1794

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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Martello tower