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DEFILE

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 926 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DEFILE , a military expression for a passage, to See also:

march through which troops are compelled to " defile," or narrow their front (from the Fr. defiler, to march in a See also:line, or by" files "). The word is usually applied to a See also:ravine or See also:gorge in a range of hills, but a See also:causeway over a See also:river, a See also:bridge and even a See also:village may equally be called a defile. The See also:term is also used to See also:express, without any See also:special reference to military operations, a gorge in mountains. The verb " to defile " is used of troops marching on a narrow front, or narrowing their front, under all circumstances, and in this sense is the contrary of " deploy." "Defile," in the sense of "pollute," is another See also:form of " defoul "; though spelt alike, the two words are pronounced differently, the See also:accent being on the first syllable for the former and on the second for the latter.

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