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Enfilade   Listen
verb
Enfilade  v. t.  (past & past part. enfiladed; pres. part. enfilading)  (Mil.) To pierce, scour, or rake with shot in the direction of the length of, as a work, or a line of troops.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Enfilade" Quotes from Famous Books



... defensive position Beach W was almost ideal. It had two weak points, however, which in the end turned the scales and made success possible for the attacking force. At either end of the bay were small rock positions from which it was possible to enfilade the ...
— The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII) - History of the European War from Official Sources • Various

... haven't the least doubt," exclaimed the enthusiastic war prophet, "that at this moment German spies are as thick in Westchester as blackberries. They are here to select camp sites and gun positions, to find out which of these hills enfilade the others and to learn to what extent their armies can live on the country. They are counting the cows, the horses, the barns where fodder is stored; and they are marking down on their ...
— The Boy Scout and Other Stories for Boys • Richard Harding Davis

... the different storeys could be reached by sloping ascents or internal staircases. It was flanked at intervals by square towers, somewhat higher than the walls, which projected sufficiently for the defenders to enfilade the assailants when they approached the ...
— History of Phoenicia • George Rawlinson

... idle. Seeing the inevitable result when Van Cleve's lines wavered, he dashed down the road to some unemployed batteries. These he got quickly into position to enfilade the enemy as he passed over Van Cleve's abandoned ground, and while Wiley with his Forty-first was striking in front and flank to clear himself of the surrounding foes, Hazen's batteries were pouring shells at short range into the well-ordered supporting troops which the enemy was hurrying ...
— Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science - Vol. XVII, No. 102. June, 1876. • Various

... barn was held by the Yankees. The skirmishers beyond the right of the battalion charged and took it. A regiment advanced from the Federal side, drove our men off, and occupied the barn. They began to enfilade the pits of Company A. All the while, we were engaged ...
— Who Goes There? • Blackwood Ketcham Benson

... there. I must be two minutes and three-quarters late. Mrs. Hockin, mount the big telescope and point it at the ramparts; keep the flag up also. Those fellows will be certain that I am up here, while I enfilade them from the western end with this fine binocular. Surprises maintain discipline. Good-by, my dear, and, Miss Castlewood, good-by. Tea at 6.30, and not ...
— Erema - My Father's Sin • R. D. Blackmore

... defence, care had been taken to place the blockhouse so near an opening in the limestone rock that formed the base of the island as to admit of a bucket being dropped into the water, in order to obtain that great essential in the event of a siege. In order to facilitate this operation, and to enfilade the base of the building, the upper stories projected several feet beyond the lower in the manner usual to blockhouses, and pieces of wood filled the apertures cut in the log flooring, which were intended as loops and traps. The communications ...
— The Pathfinder - The Inland Sea • James Fenimore Cooper

... Sunday, and at a very early hour our scouts informed us that the Boers had made a wide detour towards Wepener, and had overlapped our right flank. They slipped up into a kopje, which would have enabled them to enfilade our position in a most masterly manner; but before they could get their guns there our artillery was at them, and the kopje was literally ploughed up with shells. It was too warm a corner for any man on earth to attempt to hold, and they soon took their departure, ...
— Campaign Pictures of the War in South Africa (1899-1900) - Letters from the Front • A. G. Hales

... steward's room put together, leading into another cloister larger and more beautiful than the first; and the whole of this straight line—that is, the forty braccia of the loggia of the first cloister, the passage, and the line of the second cloister—made a very long enfilade, more beautiful than words can tell, and the rather as from that farther cloister, in the same straight line, there issued a garden-walk two hundred braccia in length; and all this, as one came from ...
— Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects - Vol. 04 (of 10), Filippino Lippi to Domenico Puligo • Giorgio Vasari

... I am at one end of the long enfilade of rooms taking the Comtesse de Paris to her seat and another princess (Joinville or Chartres) should arrive; what has to ...
— My First Years As A Frenchwoman, 1876-1879 • Mary King Waddington

... retire, and later, gave the command for us to do the same in rushes by threes. Meanwhile our bandoliers were nearly empty, and the Boers were creeping round to our right, which would enable them to enfilade our position. The first three retired, and we were blazing away to cover them, with our heads just showing as we fired over the top of the donga, when the man on my right said, "Mr. Stanley is hit," and looking at him, for he was close to me on my left, I ...
— A Yeoman's Letters - Third Edition • P. T. Ross

... which, massed principally upon the right of their line, threw in the action over three thousand rounds. Under such heavy fire the Guards were directed to extend to the right, at the same time swinging round their extreme right companies toward the left. It was hoped thus to outflank and enfilade the hostile line; but the movement was checked by the Riet, which, contrary to the intelligence received, was not fordable. Colonel Codrington with a score of officers and men did get across; but the water was too deep for ...
— Story of the War in South Africa - 1899-1900 • Alfred T. Mahan

... at the knuckle, and the thumb is denominated Carodino, where the Palatario is situated, while the spaces between each of the fingers are smaller harbours of great depth and security; and from Port Saint Angelo, numerous tiers of frowning batteries completely enfilade the entrance of the harbour—the approach to which is further defended by Forts Saint Elmo and Ricasoli. On the opposite side of Port Marsa Musceit, are two forts—Port Tigne at the entrance, and Fort Manuel; and there are several ...
— The Pirate of the Mediterranean - A Tale of the Sea • W.H.G. Kingston

... flying cabris'[E] trail, Swelled by ten thousand hideous voices, shrills, And through the battle-smoke the bravest burst. Flutters their tattered banner on our wall! Thunders their shout of victory! Appalled Our serried ranks are broken—but in vain! On either hand our cannon enfilade, Crushing great gaps along the stalwart lines; In front our deadly rifles volley still, Mowing the toppling swaths of daring men. Behold—they falter!—Ho!—they break!—they fly! With one wild cheer that shakes the solid hills Spring to the charge our eager infantry. Headlong ...
— The Feast of the Virgins and Other Poems • H. L. Gordon

... batteries were advanced in front of the main work, and about half way down the hill were two rows of abattis. The batteries were calculated to command the beach and the crossing place of the marsh, and to rake and enfilade any column which might be advancing from either of those points toward the fort. In addition to these defenses several vessels of war were stationed in the river and commanded the ground at the foot of the hill. The garrison consisted of about 600 ...
— Life And Times Of Washington, Volume 2 • John Frederick Schroeder and Benson John Lossing

... further attacks. In this affair the West Yorks suffered casualties amounting approximately to 15 officers and 600 other ranks, the Sherwood Foresters also losing 12 officers and 180 other ranks. The temporary loss of the trenches by the West Yorks exposed the trenches of the D.L.I, to enfilade machine-gun fire, from which they had considerable casualties, including Majors Mander and Robb. This was the only serious fighting in which the Division was engaged, but a certain amount of trouble was caused by the arrival of guns from Antwerp which fired "Black Marias," and the enfilade ...
— A Short History of the 6th Division - Aug. 1914-March 1919 • Thomas Owen Marden

... concealed emplacements behind the first line, to deliver successive barrages from flanking positions. Effective range: up to 700 yards. (b) Automatic rifles. Crew of 3 men per rifle. Usually posted to enfilade the entanglements of the first line. They concentrate the fire effect of from 7 to 10 riflemen. Effective range: up to 300 yards. (c) Rifle Grenadiers. Located near enough to first line to hold the enemy trenches under fire and deliver effective barrages near the mouths of our own communicating ...
— Military Instructors Manual • James P. Cole and Oliver Schoonmaker

... de Villa, together with the square clock tower of St. Gervais, both looking as indistinct as if they had stood far away in the suburbs. And on the left bank there was a wing of the Institute, the flat frontage of the Mint, and yet another enfilade of trees. ...
— His Masterpiece • Emile Zola



Words linked to "Enfilade" :   gunshot, rake



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