Parapet

Parapet

(Ital. para-petto, from parare, to protect, and petto, the breast) is an architectural term applied to a low breastwork intended for the protection of gutters and roofs. In England they are commonly battlemented or panelled, but in France they are usually pierced. Parapets are of very ancient date. The Israelites were commanded to build a "battlement" round their flat roofs.