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Added 9 October 2026

bulwark

/ˈbʊl.wək/ noun

In Latin: agger Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bulwark at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An embankment built around a space for defensive purposes.
they stormed the ramparts of the city
A fencelike structure around a deck (usually plural).
A protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away.

verb

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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