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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

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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