Brattice

//ˈbɹæt.ɪs// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A partition in a coal mine, made from wood or from canvas sheeting coated in tar.

    "A practice then prevailed of blasting without nicking the side of the place which still continues and of conducting the current of air too far by means of brattice, to both of which practices I raised a strong objection. They admitted their inability to make the men nick the coal as they formerly did and thought the application of brattice could not be properly defined, but that it should be left to the discretion of the manager of each particular mine as to the distance openings should be made apart between the intake and return air courses."

  2. 2
    a partition (often temporary) of planks or cloth that is used to control ventilation in a mine wordnet
  3. 3
    A wooden structure used for attack or defence, such as an archery tower, or a penthouse built over the entry to a castle for archers to shoot from. historical

    "[…] When a breach was made in the castle wall, a brattice could be built within to serve as a new temporary defence."

Verb
  1. 1
    To divide into partitions of this kind. transitive
  2. 2
    supply with a brattice, to ventilate mines wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle English bretage, bretace, from Old French bretesce, bretesche, breteske, from Late Latin brittisca.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle English bretage, bretace, from Old French bretesce, bretesche, breteske, from Late Latin brittisca.

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