† vaumure, n. Obs.
Forms: α. 5–7 (9) vawmure (6 vawmeure, vawmer), 6–7 vaumure. β. 6–7 vamure (6 vamer). γ. 6 vaimure.
[Reduced form of AF. *vaunt-mur: see vauntmure and avantmure.]
An advanced wall or earthwork thrown out in front of the main fortifications; the outer wall or series of walls of a fortification or fortress.
| α c 1475 Contin. Brut. ii. 577 The Flemmynges laid þeire gonnes to þe walles, & beete doun þe vawmures and þe walles. 1562 T. Phaer æneid D d j, Afront the vaumures long..the legion wayting stood. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1427 Gods prouidence..ouerthrew a peece of the wall and vawmure of six and twentie poles. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 179 The safe recourse they had to the wall and vaumure strengthened with turfe defended these wait-layers from all danger. a 1656 Ussher Ann. (1658) 246 [He] took the vawmure, which was of no great strength. Ibid. 254 The Macedons therefore not having quite battered the inner wall, but onely undermined a vaumure made of brick. [1843 Lytton Last Bar. i. i, Next, the Palace, with its bulwark and vaumure.] |
| β a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 133 b, On the Weste side was a greate rampire or banke, very stepe without and within, and like to a vamure of a fortresse, by the vamure the diches were .xxiiii. fote depe. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. ii. (1586) 50 Wherin the vamure must be so steep, that it may not easily be climed. 1600 Fairfax Tasso xi. lxiv, A mount thereof to make, Or else some vamure fit to saue the towne. 1642 Prince Rupert's Sp. to King 4 Their graffes or ditches being dry and their vamures unpallisado'd. |
| γ 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 124 To make up againe their vaimures, the which were throwen downe with the fury of the artillery. Ibid., He threw downe more then halfe thereof [a wall], breaking also one part of the vaimure. |
Hence
† vaumure v. trans., to provide with a vaumure or advanced earthwork.
† vaumuring, the material forming a vaumure; vaumures collectively.
Obs. rare.
| 1523 Surrey in Morton Mon. Ann. Teviotdale (1832) 27 The said fortres was vawmeured with erthe of the beste sorte.., and had a barbican. c 1600 Surv. Carlisle Castle in Scott Border Antiq. (1814) I. 35 The vawmering of Calder-tower is in decay. |