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cordon sanitaire

[ French kawr-dawnsa-nee-ter ]
/ French kɔr dɔ̃ sa niˈtɛr /
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noun, plural cor·dons sa·ni·taires [French kawr-dawnsa-nee-ter]. /French kɔr dɔ̃ sæ niˈtɛr/.
a line around a quarantined area guarded to prevent the spread of a disease by restricting passage into or out of the area.
a group of neighboring, generally neutral states forming a geographical barrier between two states having aggressive military or ideological aims against each other.
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Origin of cordon sanitaire

From French, dating back to 1840–50; see origin at cordon, sanitary

Words nearby cordon sanitaire

cordless telephone, cordoba, cordon, cordonbleu, cordonnet, cordon sanitaire, cordotomy, Cordova, Cordovan, cords, corduroy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cordon sanitaire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cordon sanitaire

cordon sanitaire
/ French (kɔrdɔ̃ sanitɛr) /
noun
a guarded line serving to cut off an infected area
a line of buffer states, esp when protecting a nation from infiltration or attack

Word Origin for cordon sanitaire

C19: literally: sanitary line
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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