Drawbridge

This article is about a type of bridge commonly found at the entrance to castles. For the broader American meaning of the term, see Moveable bridge. For other uses, see Drawbridge (disambiguation).
Animation showing the operation of a drawbridge

A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word drawbridge commonly refers to all types of moveable bridges, such as bascule bridges, vertical-lift bridges and swing bridges, but this article concerns the narrower historical definition where the bridge is used in a defensive structure.[1]

As used in castles or defensive structures, drawbridges provide access across defensive structures when lowered, but can quickly be raised from within to deny entry to an enemy force.

  1. ^ "Drawbridge definition and meaning". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.