abatis
/ˈæbətəs/noun
abatis is spelled A-B-A-T-I-S: 6 letters. It appears about once in every 47 million words in written English, the 211,986th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, abatis means “A means of defense formed by felled trees, or sometimes by bent trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of abatis is abatises.
How many letters and syllables are in abatis?
| Letters | 6: A-B-A-T-I-S |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 47 million words; the 211,986th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is abatis?
Abatis appears about once in every 47 million words in written English, the 211,986th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce abatis?
- UK /ˈæbətiː/
- UK /ˈæbətiːz/
- US /ˈæbətəs/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-ca-abatis.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of abatis
- abatises plural
- abattis
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does abatis mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A means of defense formed by felled trees, or sometimes by bent trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy, and more recently fortified with barbed wire.
- 2
In the Middle Ages, an officer of the stables who had the care of measuring out the provender; an avenor.
- 3
In coal-mining, walls of cord-wood piled up crosswise to keep the underground roads open so as to secure ventilation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Abatis in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense means of defense:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Verhau, Baumverhau |
| Portuguese | abatis |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does abatis come from?
From French abatis, abattis (“mass of things beaten or cut down”), from abattre. See abate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).