enfilade

1 of 2

noun

en·​fi·​lade ˈen-fə-ˌlād 

-ˌläd

1

: an interconnected group of rooms arranged usually in a row with each room opening into the next

2

: gunfire directed from a flanking position along the length of an enemy battle line

enfilade

2 of 2

verb

enfiladed; enfilading

transitive verb

: to rake or be in a position to rake with gunfire in a lengthwise direction

Examples of enfilade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Here was a way to inhabit the dark enfilades and flood them at least intermittently with light. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Behind the enfilade is the kitchen, stairs, and bathrooms, as well as the lift for accessing the main building, whose owner bought to serve as an office. — New Atlas, 19 July 2026

Verb

Hood directed artillery fire under enfilading machine-gun fire. — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 2025

Bodies were disfigured by thundering artillery bombardments and the scythe-like enfilade fire from machine guns. — David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from enfiler to thread, enfilade, from Old French, to thread, from en- + fil thread — more at file

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enfilade

• amphipod
• arthropod
• copepod
• decapod
• endopod
• escalade
• esplanade
• exopod
• gastropod
• goldenrod
• isopod
• ostracod