abatis

History and Etymology for abatis

borrowed from French, literally, "act of felling, things felled," going back to Old French abateiz, from abatre "to strike down, fell" + -eiz, -eis, resultative suffix, going back to Vulgar Latin *-ātīcium, neuter of *-ātīcius, from Latin -ātus -ate entry 3 + -īcius, adjective suffix — more at abate