Curved wall and ditch extension protecting a gate of a marching camp.
Synonym: clavicle. ... Origin: L. Clavicula, a small key, fr. Clavis, key ... (05 Mar 2000) ... 
(klә-vik´u-lә) Latin word meaning clavicle.
These steering obstacles were extensions to the vallum of a camp in the area of the portae, forming a defended passageway which permitted egress to the camp by an enemy only from his right, thus exposing the unshielded sword-arm to the defenders on the rampart on approach. There were 2 types; the external clavicula was an extension of the right-han…...
Type: Term Pronunciation: klă-vik′yū-lă, -lē Synonyms: clavicle
in a Roman camp, curved extension of rampart (and ditch) protecting a gateway
'steering' obstacles These are extensions to the vallum of a camp in the area of the portae, forming a defended passageway which permitted egress to the camp by an enemy only from his right, thus exposing the unshielded sword-arm to the defenders on the rampart on approach. There are two types; the external clavicula was an extension of the right-h...