concertina wire

American  

[kon-ser-tee-nuh wahy^uhr] / ˌkɒn sərˈti nə ˌwaɪər /

noun

1. wire with razor-sharp edges or projections, placed in coils as a barrier along the tops of fences or walls, as at a prison, or on the ground to impede advancing enemy troops.

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Etymology

Origin of concertina wire

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Behind the concertina wire encircling the bases, Germans could experience American bowling alleys and drive-in theaters.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

The concertina wire used to barricade the road has been moved to one side and local people and flocks of sheep can be seen making their way down.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025

After weeks of desperation, migrants pass a toddler under a tangle of concertina wire strung across the edge of U.S. soil.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2024

They were headed, about 150 of them, for the demilitarized zone: the narrow buffer strip between North and South Korea that is heavily guarded by concertina wire and rifle-toting soldiers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024

She says that crews are busy locking away the beaches behind a network of concertina wire and huge wooden jacks called chevaux de frise.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr