rampart

American  

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

noun

ramparts plural

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)

ramparts, present (3rd person singular) ramparted, past participle, past ramparting present participle

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ramparts
  plural

Participles

• ramparting
  present
• ramparted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rampart
  simple
• ramparts
  simple
• have ramparted
  perfect
• has ramparted
  perfect
• am ramparting
  progressive
• are ramparting
  progressive
• is ramparting
  progressive
• have been ramparting
  perfect progressive
• has been ramparting
  perfect progressive

Past

• ramparted
  simple
• had ramparted
  perfect
• was ramparting
  progressive
• were ramparting
  progressive
• had been ramparting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rampart
  simple
• will have ramparted
  perfect
• will be ramparting
  progressive
• will have been ramparting
  perfect progressive

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

In Rampart Village this week, two miles west of Huntley Drive, Barajas’ daughters stood beside each other, leaning against a beige wall of an apartment complex.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2025

Capt. Manny Chavez with the LAPD’s Rampart Patrol said the city had taken a measured approach to addressing illegal street vending and conducted outreach with vendors.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2025

Kleibacker had most recently assigned to Rampart Division, and his social media presence suggested that he joined the department after serving in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025

At the Los Angeles Police Department’s weekly crime briefings this fall, its leaders tracked what seemed to be a troubling rise in robberies in police divisions such as Southwest and Rampart.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2025

He said the Butler on Rampart Street was as good as any, and told me what bus to take from downtown.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

• barricade