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Martello tower Definition

Mar·tello tower (mär tel′ō)

noun

a circular fort of masonry, formerly built on coasts to protect against invaders

Etymology: It martello, a hammer, folk etym. substitution for mortella, a tower, after Mortella, cape in Corsica, where such a tower was attacked by the English fleet (1794)

Martello tower Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • small: The small martello tower contains a museum about Guernsey shipwrecks, with many salvaged artifacts and related illustrations.

Browse dictionary entries near Martello tower

  1. ‹ Martel
  2. ‹ martagon
  3. ‹ Martaban
  4. ‹ Martí
  5. ‹ mart
  6. ‹ marsupium
  7. ‹ marsupial
  8. ‹ Marston Moor
  9. ‹ Marston
  10. ‹ marshy
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