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A small opening, as in the walls of fortification, or in the bulkhead of a ship, through which small arms or other weapons may be discharged at an enemy.

Provided with loopholes.

An edifice or structure of heavy timbers or logs for military defense, having its sides loopholed for musketry, and often an upper story projecting over the lower, or so placed upon it as to have its sides make an angle wit the sides of the lower story, thus enabling the defenders to fire downward, and in all direction…

Barriers with loopholes, formerly erected on the deck of a vessel to shelter the men in a close engagement with an enemy's boarders; -- called also close quarters. [Obs.]

An embrasure or indentation in a battlement; a loophole in a fortress; an indentation; a notch. See Merlon, and Illust. of Battlement.

y should a man. whose blood is warm within, Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster Shak. Loopholes cut through thickest shade. Milton.

A small, narrow opening; a loophole. And stop all sight-holes, every loop from whence The eye of Reason may pry in upon us. Shak.

A small narrow opening or window in a tower or fortified wall; a loophole.

A small opening or loophole, sometimes circular, used in mediæval fortifications.

as through a crevice; to pry. eep through the blanket of the dark. Shak. From her cabined loophole peep. Milton. Peep sight, an adjustable piece, pierced with a small hole to peep through in aiming, attached to a rifle or other firearm near the breech.

am Eng.), a hand lever for working the values in starting an engine. -- Starting hole, a loophole; evasion. [Obs.] -- Starting point, the point from which motion begins, or from which anything starts. -- Starting post, a post, stake, barrier, or place from which competitors in a race start, or begin the race.…

out posts or timbers set firmly in the earth in contact with each other (and usually with loopholes) to form a barrier, or defensive fortification. [Written also stoccade.]