rampart

American  

[ram-pahrt, -pert] / ˈræm pɑrt, -pərt /

noun

1. Fortification.

   1. a broad elevation or mound of earth raised as a fortification around a place and usually capped with a stone or earth parapet.

   2. such an elevation together with the parapet.

2. anything serving as a bulwark or defense.

   Synonyms:

   guard, barricade, breastwork, fortification

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with or as if with a rampart.

rampart British  

/ ˈræmpɑːt /

noun

1. the surrounding embankment of a fort, often including any walls, parapets, walks, etc, that are built on the bank

2. anything resembling a rampart in form or function, esp in being a defence or bulwark

3. a steep rock wall in a river gorge

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with a rampart; fortify

Etymology

Origin of rampart

1575–85; < Middle French, derivative of remparer, equivalent to re- re- + emparer to take possession of < Provençal amparar ≪ Latin ante- ante- + parāre to prepare

Explanation

If you are building a sand castle and want it to be extra realistic, don’t forget the rampart. This protective wall may not keep the ocean away, but it might intimidate a few hostile hermit crabs. This noun is derived from the French verb remparer, meaning “to fortify,” and dates back to the 16th century. This usually refers to a large defensive wall surrounding a castle, but can be a barrier built along a road or an embankment constructed alongside a river. This word is famously used in the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem of the United States: “O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming...”

Example Sentences

On top of this base, turf would have been laid to build a rampart about 2 metres high.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2023

Up close, the structure, which will cost as much as $40 million, looks less like a dune and more like a rampart.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2022

In a nation whose strict policies earned it the nickname “Fortress Australia,” the last rampart has fallen.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2022

And the overwhelming suspicion was that he was looking for a rampart to which he could retreat in the event of outright civilisational collapse.

From The Guardian • Feb. 15, 2018

They found a few crumbled stairways, but nothing that even came close to the rampart.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• barricade