parados Fortif.
(ˈpærədɒs, ‖ parado)
[a. F. parados, f. para-2 + dos back.]
a. (See quots.)
| 1834–47 J. S. Macaulay Field Fortif. (1851) 107 When the covering masses are intended to protect the defenders from reverse fire, they are called parados. 1853 Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 207 Parados, an elevation of earth which is effected behind fortified places, to secure them from any sudden attack that may be made in reverse. 1870 Illustr. Lond. News 29 Oct. 446 The conical top of the hill..serves as a gigantic natural parados or traverse. |
b. The rear wall of a trench. Also fig.
| 1917 A. G. Empey Over Top 303 Parados, the rear wall of a trench which the Germans continually fill with bits of shell and rifle bullets. Tommy doesn't mind how many they put in the parados. 1938 H. G. Wells Apropos of Dolores iv. 139 Much of this discourse flowed over me. I did my best to keep my head down beneath the level of parapet and parados. 1957 P. Kemp Mine were of Trouble iv. 79, I saw Frejo and Santo Domingo on top of the parados. |