Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

cordon sanitaire

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

Origin of cordon sanitaire

From French, dating back to 1840–50; see origin at cordon, sanitary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for cordon sanitaire

cordon sanitaire

noun
  1. a guarded line serving to cut off an infected area
  2. a line of buffer states, esp when protecting a nation from infiltration or attack
Show More

Word Origin

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
cordon sanitaire in Medicine

cordon sanitaire

(kôr-dôɴ′ sä-nē-târ′)
n.
  1. A barrier designed to prevent a disease or other undesirable condition from spreading.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.