1. Plural of martello; small, circular or oval fortified towers built in coastal areas for defense against invasion, typically from the 18th–19th centuries.
Usage: historical; military architecture

Examples

• The martellos dotted the English coastline as a defense against French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars.
• Visitors can still see several well-preserved martellos along the coast of Ireland.
• The British military constructed dozens of martellos in strategic locations around their territories.
• These martellos were designed to be compact yet heavily armed with cannon.
• The architecture of the martellos reflected the military engineering standards of their era.