Portcullis

Portcullis at Desmond Castle, Adare, County Limerick, Ireland
The inner portcullis of the Torre dell'Elefante in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

A portcullis (from Old French porte coleice 'sliding gate')[1] is a heavy, vertically closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications. It consists of a latticed grille made of wood and/or metal, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.

  1. ^ Harper, Douglas. "portcullis". Online Etymology Dictionary.