Definition of "conning tower" [con•ning tow•er]

• A raised, enclosed observation post in a submarine, often being a means of entrance to the interior. (noun)
• The armored pilothouse of a warship. (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.

• "One felt the tiny four-inch shell spatter against the conning tower armor, and the pieces ‘sizz’ over it."
• "By then, the zeppelin was less than a mile away, but Naismith, mindful of orders to destroy British seaplanes that could not be brought home, ordered a machine gun brought up to the conning tower and had a seaman begin firing at the floats of the three empty seaplanes."
• "While the captain was below, Spiess in the conning tower spotted smoke and a mast on the horizon."