Link Centre Dictionary

bulwark

bul·wark

UK/ˈbʉl.wəɹk/ US/ˈbʊl.wək/ uncommon
noun (3) verb (1)

noun

1.

an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes

  • “they stormed the ramparts of the city”
  • “they blew the trumpet and the walls came tumbling down”
Synonyms
2.

a fence-like structure around a deck

Synonyms
3.

verb

1.

defend with a bulwark

Origin

From Middle English bulwerk, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, bolwerc and Middle Low German bolwerk, equivalent to bole (“tree trunk”) + work. Cognate with German Bollwerk, Danish bolværk, Swedish bålverk, Dutch bolwerk. Doublet of boulevard (from French boulevard, from Dutch); cognate with Portuguese and Spanish baluarte and Italian baluardo.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.