barrel pier (barelper)

A support for a military bridge formed of empty casks or barrels joined together in a raft, in the absence of pontoons or boats. The rafts of barrels for the abutments are made fast to the shore on each side of the stream or body of water to be cro ed, and those forming the piers are anchored at proper intervals between the two banks. These rafts are connected by sleepers or timbers, which are lashed to them and support the planks forming the roadway of the bridge. 459 But it [Duomo of Florence] is impre ive within from its vast open spaces, and from the stately and simple, though barren , grandeur of its piers and vaults and walls. C. E. Norton, Church-building in Middle Ages, p. 229. Barren flowers, such as for any reason produce no seed. -Barren ground, unproductive beds of rock: used, especially with regard to coal, for areas where there is no coal seam of sufficient thickne to be worked with profit. -Barren measures, geol., those portions of coal measures which contain no workable seams of coal.Barren signs, in astrol., Gemini, Leo, and Virgo.-Barren stamens, in bot., such as produce no pollen in the anther. II. n. A tract or region of more or le un