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Bible Encyclopedias
Parapet
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
or (Ital. parapetto, Fr. parapet, from Mara, imperative of Ital. parare, to cover, defend, and petto, breast, Lat. pectus; the German word is Brustwehr), a dwarf wall along the edge of a roof, or round a lead flat, terrace walk, &c., to prevent persons from falling over, and as a protection to the defenders in case of a siege. Parapets are either plain, embattled, perforated or panelled. The last two are found in all styles except the Romanesque. Plain parapets are simply portions of the wall generally overhanging a little, with a coping at the top and corbel table below. Embattled parapets are sometimes panelled, but oftener pierced for the discharge of arrows, &c. Perforated parapets are pierced in various devices - as circles, trefoils, quatrefoils and other designs - so that the light is seen through. Panelled parapets are those ornamented by a series of panels, either oblong or square, and more or less enriched, but are not perforated. These are common in the Decorated and Perpendicular periods.
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Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Parapet'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/p/parapet.html. 1910.
