3. (Her.) Rising with fore paws in the air as if attacking; -- said of
a beast of prey, especially a lion. The right fore leg and right hind
leg should be raised higher than the left.
Rampant arch. (a) An arch which has one abutment higher than the other.
(b) Same as Rampant vault, below. -- Rampant gardant (Her.), rampant,
but with the face turned to the front. -- Rampant regardant, rampant,
but looking backward. -- Rampant vault (Arch.), a continuous wagon
vault, or cradle vault, whose two abutments are located on an inclined
plane, such as the vault supporting a stairway, or forming the ceiling
of a stairway.
Ramp"ant*ly, adv. In a rampant manner.
Ram"part (rm"pärt), n. [F. rempart, OF. rempar, fr. remparer to
fortify, se remparer to fence or intrench one's self; pref. re- re- +
pref. en- (L. in) + parer to defend, parry, prepare, L. parare to
prepare. See Pare.]
1. That which fortifies and defends from assault; that which secures
safety; a defense or bulwark.
2. (Fort.) A broad embankment of earth round a place, upon which the
parapet is raised. It forms the substratum of every permanent
fortification. Mahan.
Syn. -- Bulwark; fence; security; guard. -- Rampart, Bulwark. These
words were formerly interchanged; but in modern usage a distinction has
sprung up between them. The rampart of a fortified place is the
enceinte or entire main embankment or wall which surrounds it. The term
bulwark is now applied to peculiarly strong outworks which project for
the defense of the rampart, or main work. A single bastion is a
bulwark. In using these words figuratively, rampart is properly applied
to that which protects by walling out; bulwark to that which stands in
the forefront of danger, to meet and repel it. Hence, we speak of a
distinguished individual as the bulwark, not the rampart, of the state.
This distinction, however, is often disregarded.
Ram"part, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ramparted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ramparting.]
To surround or protect with, or as with, a rampart or ramparts.
Those grassy hills, those glittering dells, Proudly ramparted with
rocks.
Coleridge.
Rampart gun (Fort.), a cannon or large gun for use on a rampart and not
as a fieldpiece.
Rampe (rmp), n. [In allusion to its supposed aphrodisiac qualities. See
Ramp.] (Bot.) The cuckoopint.