barrage

noun bah-RAHJ Rare

Origin: From French barrage (barrier, barring), from barrer (to bar).

Also means

barrier

Usage Note

Barrage is a French-origin loanword used in Italian military contexts (artillery barrage) and in sport (a play-off match used as a tiebreaker, especially in football relegation). It is masculine and invariable: il barrage, i barrage. In everyday Italian sbarramento is the native alternative.

Examples

"Le truppe avanzarono sotto il barrage di artiglieria."

Natural Translation

The troops advanced under the artillery barrage.

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