ENFILADE, a military term used to express the direction of fire along an enemy's line from its flank. (A French word, from en filer, to thread, and so to pass through from end to end.) This species of fire is most demoralizing and destructive as it rakes the greatest length of a position or body of troops, while only a fraction of the latter can reply to it. If any considerable body of men changes front, it immediately lays itself open to en filade from the enemy whom it originally faced. Against entrench ments, or the parapets of fortifications, enfilade is still more effective, as the enemy is deprived of the protection given by his works and is no better covered than if he were in the open. Banks of earth (called traverses), built at right angles to the line of defence, are usually employed to protect parapets or trenches against enfilade.