bulwark

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“
Scyldings'-bulwark, a boon I seek, -- and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not,

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Definitions (18)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. noun A wall or embankment raised as a defensive fortification; a rampart.
  2. noun Something serving as a defense or safeguard: "We have seen the necessity of the Union, as our bulwark against foreign danger” (James Madison).
  3. noun A breakwater.
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Examples (50)

  • To me it seems that he had already declared to himself that among leading men in Rome Pompey was the one to whom the Republic would look with the most security as a bulwark, and that on that account he had resolved to bind himself to Pompey in some political marriage. —  Life of Cicero
  • Two of them were sitting aft under the lee of the weather-bulwark, as Seymour was walking the deck to and fro. —  The King's Own
  • The safety of the ship is all we can look to now He made a dash for the weather-bulwark, and disappeared at once into the darkness and mist of spray which flew before the gale, hissing by us, and drenching us to the skin You ought to have brought a waterproof, Mr Denning," I said Who could think of waterproofs at a time like this?" —  Sail Ho! A Boy at Sea
  • Scyldings'-bulwark, a boon I seek, -- and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not, —  Beowulf
  • The darkness hides, your bulwark is the night, —  Jerusalem Delivered
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English bulwerk, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, from Middle High German bolwerc : bole, plank; see bhel-2 in Indo-European roots + werc, work (from Old High German; see werg- in Indo-European roots).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Early modern English also bulwarke, bullwarck, bulwerk; from Middle English bulwerk, of D. or Scandinavian origin: Middle Dutch bolwerck, D. and Flemish bolwerk = Middle Low German Low German bolwerk=late Middle High German bolewerc, bolwerc, bolwerch, bolwerk, German bollwerk (later Polish bolwark = Russian bolverkŭ = Old French bollewercque, boulverch, bouleverc, boulevert, bouleverd, boulever, boulevart, French boulevard, later Spanish Portuguese baluarte = Italian baluarte, baluardo, beluardo, belloardo, bellouardo, now baluardo=Middle Latin bolevardus, bolvetus = English boulevard, q. v.) = Swedish bolverk, Old Swedish bolwärk = Danish bulværk, Old Danish bulverk, bulwerck, bullwerck, bolverck, bulwirke; from Middle Dutch bol, the bole or trunk of a tree, = Middle Low German bole, bolle, bale = Middle High German bole, German bohle, a thick plank, = Old Swedish bol, bul, Swedish bål = Old Danish Danish bul, the trunk of a tree, = Icelandic bolr, bulr, later English bole, the trunk of a tree, stem, log, + Middle Dutch, Dutch, etc., werk = English work. The word is thus literally ‘bole-work,’ a construction of logs; cf. the equivalent Middle Dutch block-werck, literally ‘block-work.’ The Middle High German is explained as also an engine for throwing missiles, a catapult, as if related to Middle High German boler, a catapult, German böller, a small cannon, from Old High German bolōn, Middle High German bolen, boln, roll, throw, sling, = Middle Dutch bollen, roll, throw, Dutch bollen, haul, hale, from the same ult. source as bole: see bole.
  2. = Middle Dutch bolwercken, Dutch bolwerken = Middle Low German bolwerken; from the noun.
 

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/ˈbəlwərk/
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