bulwark
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, bolwerc and Middle Low German bolwerk, equivalent to bole (“tree trunk”) + work. Cognate with German Bollwerk, Danish bolværk, Dutch bolwerk. Doublet of boulevard (from French boulevard, from Dutch); cognate with Portuguese and Spanish baluarte and Italian baluardo.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈbʊl.wək/
- (US) enPR: bo͝ol'wərk, bo͝ol'wôrk, IPA(key): /ˈbʊl.wɝk/, /ˈbʊl.wɔɹk/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun[edit]
bulwark (plural bulwarks)
- A defensive wall or rampart.
- A defense or safeguard.
- Blackstone
- The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defence, […] the floating bulwark of our island.
- Blackstone
- 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.
- (figuratively) Any means of defence or security.
Translations[edit]
a defensive wall or rampart
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a defense or safeguard
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a breakwater
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(nautical) the planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
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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.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle Dutch
- English terms derived from Middle Low German
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Nautical
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs