Engineering Dictionary

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An alphabetical listing of General terms and items.

Qalca (Burj Or Qubba)   Dico Tools
A small tower in the mountains of the Iberian peninsula with large storage facilities.


Qasabah, Qasr   Dico Tools
A governor's fortified residence and garrison. (Arabic) See Alcazabar.


Quadrangular Castle   Dico Tools
A castle dating from the 14th century, which consisted of four wings surrounding a central courtyard. The outer face was reasonably defensible, the corner towers were substantial, while the interior faces were almost totally domestic in character. The quadrangular castle combined display, comfort and security and was the dominant form of English fortified dwelling from the middle 14th century until the time they merged with the great undefended quadrangular houses of Queen Elizabeth 1st's reign. See courtyard castle.


Quadrant Castle   Dico Tools
A castle on a site formed by constructing a line of defences between principal natural obstacles and secondary obstacles, such as a tributary or lateral ravine.


Quadrilateral Castle   Dico Tools
See quadrangular castle.


Quatrefoil Keep   Dico Tools
A shell keep which was usually situated on an artificial motte and consisted of four overlapping circular bastions. The blind angles a the joins of the bastions were covered by bartizans supported on corbels, providing flanking fire rather than vertical defence. The design was derived from a type of French keep, which provided and all round field of fire, and a similar design was later adopted for the artillery forts of the Tudors. Also known as a clover-leaf keep or a four-leafed flower keep.


Qubba (Burj Or Qalca)   Dico Tools
A small tower in the mountains of the Iberian peninsula with large storage facilities.


Quinaincial Disposed Arrow Slits   Dico Tools
Arrows slits placed in a pattern of five to avoid weakening the masonry and to increase the field of fire. See staggered arrow loops.



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