gabion
[ gey-bee-uhn ]
/ ˈgeɪ bi ən /
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noun
a cylinder of wickerwork filled with earth, used as a military defense.
a metal cylinder filled with stones and sunk in water, used in laying the foundations of a dam or jetty.
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Origin of gabion
1570–80; <Middle French: rough, two-handled basket <Italian gabbione, augmentative of gabbia cage <Latin cavea cavity, cage
Words nearby gabion
gaberdine, gaberlunzie, Gaberones, Gabès, gabfest, gabion, gabionade, gable, gabled, gable end, gable roof
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for gabion
British Dictionary definitions for gabion
gabion
/ (ˈɡeɪbɪən) /
noun
a cylindrical metal container filled with stones, used in the construction of underwater foundations
a wickerwork basket filled with stones or earth, used (esp formerly) as part of a fortification
Word Origin for gabion
C16: from French: basket, from Italian gabbione, from gabbia cage, from Latin cavea; see cage
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