Drawbridge

A bridge which may be raised up, let down, or drawn aside, either to admit or hinder communication. A D. was attached to the old baronial castles (fig. 868) to enable persons to cro the moat and Fig . 868.-DRAWBRIDGE. gain acce to the castle-yard. It is also used to afford means of entrance to fortre es and citadels over the main ditch, being fastened by hinges to the scarp of the ditch in front of the main gateway, and raised and low ered by chains attached to the end that rests on the counterscarp, which pa over pulleys, and are wound and unwound by means of a windla . Besides this kind of bridge, which is sometimes termed a lifting bridge, there are 2 other sorts, called turning or swivel bridges, and rolling bridges. The turning bridge moves in an horizontal plane on a ivot, which secures one end of it to the pier on which it rests; the other end takes the form of an arc of a circle, and works on small rollers, that run on an iron rail to le en the friction. The roll ing bridge travels on rollers for the same purpose, and is moved backwards and forwards by a wheel which works in a rack; these are often used to span a space in the centre of a bridge of some length over a tidal river, to admit of the pa age of masted ve els. - See BASCULE BRIDGE. Drawbridge, in Delaware , a P. O. of Su ex co. Draw Bridge, in Maryland , a P. O. of Dor chester co. Draw'cansir. The name of a character in the Duke of Bucking ham's celebrated play, The Rehearsal , who is a sort of "Baron Münchausen;" - hence, a bragging, blustering, bullying, pot-valiant fellow.