The Only Use of
loophole
in
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
- The other bank of the stream was open ground—a gentle slope topped with a stockade of vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon commanding the bridge.†
Definitions:
-
(1)
(loophole) a gap in a rule, allowing avoidance of the rule's core intent -- especially in the text of a law or contract
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, loophole can refer to a small opening in a castle that provides light and air, and allows an arrow to be fired from within. The opening is narrow enough that it is largely protects from incoming arrows.