cordon sanitaire

[ French kawr-dawn sa-nee-ter ]
/ French kɔr dɔ̃ sa niˈtɛr /

noun, plural cor·dons sa·ni·taires [French kawr-dawn sa-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, cordo-, cordoba, cordon, cordon bleu, cordon sanitaire, cordonbleu, cordonnet, cordopexy, cordotomy, cordova
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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

Medical definitions for cordon sanitaire

cordon sanitaire
[ kôr-dôɴ′ sä-nē-târ′ ]

n.

A barrier designed to prevent a disease or other undesirable condition from spreading.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.