‖ cheval de frise usually pl. chevaux de frise.
(ʃəˈvoː də ˈfriːz)
Also 7–9 frize, freize, 9 frieze.
[Fr.; lit. ‘horse of Friesland’; because first employed by the Frisians in their struggles for freedom during the latter half of the 17th century to supply their want of cavalry; cf. the Du. name Vriesse ruyters (Frisian horsemen). In 17th c. Horse de Freeze occurs.]
1. A defensive appliance of war, employed chiefly to check cavalry charges, and stop breaches: see description in the quotations.
| 1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2375/3 The Count de Serini..posted his men on the other side, and covered them with Chevaux de Frise..fastened together with Chains. 1692 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 520 Numbers of chevaux de frize were shipt, an instrument to fix in the ground to keep off a body of horse from attacking the foot. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn., Chevaux de Frise, or Friseland Horse, in Fortification. 1708 Kersey, Chevaux de Frise are large Joists, or pieces of Timber, Ten or Twelve Foot in length, with Six Sides into which are driven a great Number of wooden Pins aboue Six Foot long, crossing one another, and having their Ends armed with Iron-Points. 1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 4675/1 The Danes..had planted themselves..behind their Chevaux de Frize. 1727–38 Chambers Cycl., Cheval de Frise, a large piece of Timber, etc. 1810 Wellington in Gurw. Disp. V. 11, I shall be very glad to see the chevaux de frise. 1869 Parkman Disc. Gt. West xiv. (1875) 168 Its declivities were..guarded by chevaux-de-frise. 1885 Harper's Mag. Jan. 219/1 The main trunk seems..to stand upon its lower branches like a cheval-de-frise. |
2. transf. a. A line of spikes or nails similarly fixed along the top of a railing, paling, or wall. b. fig. Protective lines of spines or hairs in the corolla tube of plants; the eye-lashes, teeth, etc. † c. A name for jagged edges of women's dresses and caps in the 18th c.
Chevaux-de-frise is sometimes made a collective sing.
| 1753 Songs Costume (1849) 231 Your neck and your shoulder both naked should be, Was it not for Vandyke, blown with chevaux-de-frize. 1759 Apollo or Muses Choice xxvi. 21 Each nymp that one sees, Can teach us the use of the Chevaux de Frize. 1802 Forsyth Culture Fruit-trees xxiii. (1824) 332 An oak paling..with a cheval-de-frise at top, to prevent the people's getting over it. 1807–8 W. Irving Salmag. (1824) 79 When he laughed, there appeared from ear to ear a chevaux-de-frize of teeth. 1813 Examiner 26 Apr. 271/2 The top of the wall of the prison, where there is a chevaux de frieze. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xli, Bounded by a high brick wall, with iron chevaux-de-frise at the top. 1862 Possibilities Creation 182 Is it important that the organ of vision should be protected by a cheval-de-frise of bristle? 1879 Lubbock Sci. Lect. iii. 96 Sometimes..flowers are protected by chevaux de frise of spines and fine hairs pointing downwards. 1883 Harper's Mag. July 172/2 An unsightly fence with chevaux-de-frise of nails. |