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') is a heavy, vertically closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications.[1] A portcullis gate is constructed of a latticed grille, made of wood or metal or both, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.

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