Definition of "cheval-de-frise" [che•val•-de-frise]

• An obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame, used to block enemy advancement. (noun)
• An obstacle made of jagged glass or spikes set into masonry on top of a wall. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "During the floods, however, this cheval-de-frise of boulders must all be under water, and probably impassable."
• "He swung his sword at the cheval-de-frise and staggered sideways as a cobblestone hit his skull."
• "Harper, Frederickson, and a dozen Riflemen were crouching high on the breach, just behind the cheval-de-frise."