Also 6 contremeur, contermure, 6–7 countremure, 7 (counter-mire), 7–8 contramure. [ad. F. contre-mur (16th c.), in It. and Sp. contramuro, f. contre, contra = COUNTER- 8 + mur, muro wall.]
1. Mil. A wall raised within or behind another wall as a reserve defence, in case of its being breached.
1524. St. Papers Hen. VIII., VI. 355. Ther was diches trenchis contremeurs bulwarkes and other repares made within the wall.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, G viij. But they within made a countermure as highe as the olde wall.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xliv. § 3. 261. Fortifying themselves with counter-mires which they opposed to the breaches … made vvith pieces of timber taken from the houses.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, III. xx. 146. The main hope of the Peloponnesians … was completely defeated by the countermure.
2. An outer wall for additional defence.
a. 1552. Leland, Collect., III. 145. Promurale, a countermure.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 308. The city hath a three-folde wall about it; the innermost very high … the third a countermure.
1703. T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 117. Contramure … an Out-wall, built about the Wall of a City.
1755. in Johnson.
1813. Hogg, Queen’s Wake, 292. With countermure guarded by sea and by land.
† b. Applied to a breakwater. Obs.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 755. The Iland Walney as a forefence or countre-mure lying a long by it.
1644. Slingsby, Diary (1836), 126. Wawne Iseland wch is a narrow screed of land lying before Fourness and serving for a countermure to hold off ye violence of ye sea. Ibid. (1645), 164. Cross piles … fasten’d to ye whole work … as a countermure to receive ye force of ye water.
3. A mound or wall raised outside the walls of a fortress by the besiegers to assist their operations.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 13. They rowled before them a bulwarke or countremure of earth, in maner as bigge as a mountayne, which … they moued neare vnto the trenche or ditche of the castell, so that they … battered the walles and towres thereof very sore.
1600. Holland, Livy, X. ix. 357. It was impregnable, either by assault, or countermures & skonces.
1627. May, Lucan, I. Annot. Insomuch that Cæsar to besiedge the conquered, made a countermure of dead carkasses.
4. fig. (cf. bulwark, rampart.)
1580. Apol. Pr. Orange, in Phenix (1707), I. 476. A Countermure against their Pride and Rashness.
1604. Supplic. Masse Priests, 1. Either kingdom being such a fortres and countermure to other.
1661. Wither (title), A Triple Paradox affixed to a Countermure raised against the Furious Batteries of Restraint, Slander, and Poverty.
