PORTCUL'LIS, noun [Latin clausus.] In fortification, an assemblage of timbers joined across one another, like those of a harrow, and each pointed with iron; hung over the gateway of a fortified town, to be let down in case of surprise, to prevent the entrance of an enemy. PORTCUL'LIS, verb transitive To shut; to bar; to obstruct.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI