palisade
Americannoun
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a fence of pales or stakes set firmly in the ground, as for enclosure or defense.
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any of a number of pales or stakes pointed at the top and set firmly in the ground in a close row with others to form a defense.
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Botany. palisade parenchyma.
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palisades, a line of cliffs.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground, esp for defence
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one of the stakes used in such a fence
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botany a layer of elongated mesophyll cells containing many chloroplasts, situated below the outer epidermis of a leaf blade
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palisade
1590–1600; < French palissade < Old Provençal palissada, equivalent to paliss ( a ) paling (derivative of pal stake, pale 2 ) + -ada -ade 1
Explanation
A palisade is a heavy-duty fence that's strong enough to keep out intruders, like one you might see around a military camp. Traditionally, palisades were built with wooden stakes around small forts or castles as a way to keep out enemies. There's evidence that this kind of fence was often used in ancient Greece and Rome. More modern palisades are made out of metal and give protection to houses in dangerous neighborhoods, for example. The root word is the Latin palus, which means "stake."
Vocabulary lists containing palisade
Written in Bone
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The Road
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Treasure Island
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At Amnya, her team also noted a possible sign of social stratification, another development often linked to agriculture: a cluster of houses that sat, undefended, outside the palisade.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 29, 2023
Buckingham Palace was taken aback, and it responded with a terse, 61-word statement that sought to contain the drama within the familiar royal palisade of privacy.
From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2022
Below the palisade parenchyma are loosely arranged cells of an irregular shape.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Eight stories tall, Solaris features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2022
At the same time the palisade was also intended to welcome the citizenry—anyone could freely pass through its dozen or so wide gates.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
