bulwark
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Middle High German, cognate with German Bollwerk, Danish bolværk, Dutch bolwerk. The first part is akin to bole (“trunk of a tree”). Cognates include boulevard (from French boulevard, from Dutch), Spanish baluarte and Italian baluardo.
Pronunciation [edit]
- enPR: bo͝ol'wərk, bo͝ol'wôrk, IPA: /ˈbʊlwɝk/, /ˈbʊlwɔɹk/, X-SAMPA: /"bUlw@`k/, /"bUlwOrk/
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Audio (US) (file)
Noun [edit]
bulwark (plural bulwarks)
- A defensive wall or rampart.
- A defense or safeguard.
- A breakwater.
- (nautical) The planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale that reduces the likelihood of seas washing over the gunwales and people being washed overboard.
Translations [edit]
a defensive wall or rampart
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a defense or safeguard
a breakwater
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(nautical) the planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Verb [edit]
bulwark (third-person singular simple present bulwarks, present participle bulwarking, simple past and past participle bulwarked)
- (transitive) To fortify something with a wall or rampart.
- (transitive) To provide protection of defense for something.