a raised terrace from which mounted heavy guns may fire over a parapet.

Usually found only in permanent or semi-permanent fortifications, a barbette was a raised wooden bed or platform that allowed an artillery piece to be fired over protective wall or parapet without exposing its gun crew to the enemy. During a long siege, the besieging army often set up elaborate but temporary fortifications for their artillery pieces, in which case a large mound of earth was often used as a substitute for a formal wooden barbette platform.

A wooden or earthen platform inside a fortification, on which the cannon were placed in order to allow them to shoot over the rampart.

Raising a gun by placing it on a high carriage or mound of earth so that it fires over the parapet rather than through an opening in the wall, expanding its range of fire.

A cylindrical heavily armored column that serves as support for the turreted guns. Protects ammunition handling equipment.

(Fr.) - artillery positioned to fire over the parapet rather than through an opening in it.  See Embrasure.  A cannon firing en barbette had an unrestricted (180-degree) field of fire, but its gunners were more exposed to fire than one firing en embrasure.  A barbette gun was raised to fire over the parapet by means of a large carriage or by a gun platform built up to the appropriate height.  See Gun Platform.