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

Example Sentences

Defenders of the bolillo ascended the ramparts of the internet to defend their humble fare.

From Los Angeles Times

She had to blink a few times to make sure the sight was real, much as Hamlet might have done at the sight of his father’s ghost appearing on the ramparts of the castle.

From Literature

That same year, with his painstaking production of The Beach Boys’ blockbuster single “Good Vibrations,” Wilson seemed poised to explore even greater musical ramparts.

From Salon

Mr Ambekar says that portions of an earthen rampart believed to have been built by the region's first settlers exists even today.

From BBC

“We wanted to be outsiders on the ramparts picking off the big shots,” Carter writes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barricade