bulwark

[bool-werk, -wawrk, buhl-]

noun

1. a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart.

2. any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance.

   The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

3. any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt.

   Religion was his bulwark.

   Synonyms: mainstay, buttress, support

4. Nautical.,  Usually bulwarks. a solid wall enclosing the perimeter of a weather or main deck for the protection of persons or objects on deck.

verb (used with object)

1. to fortify or protect with a bulwark; secure by or as if by a fortification.

bulwark

/ ˈbʊlwək /

noun

1. a wall or similar structure used as a fortification; rampart

2. a person or thing acting as a defence against injury, annoyance, etc

3. (often plural) nautical a solid vertical fencelike structure along the outward sides of a deck

4. a breakwater or mole

verb

1. (tr) to defend or fortify with or as if with a bulwark

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulwark¹

1375–1425; late Middle English bulwerk, probably < Middle Dutch bolwerc, equivalent to bol ( l ) e bole ¹ + werk work (noun); boulevard

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulwark¹

C15: via Dutch from Middle High German bolwerk , from bol plank, _bole ¹ + werk _work

Example Sentences

The US has long viewed India as a bulwark against China's dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, which ensured bipartisan support for Delhi in Washington.

From BBC

“It’s the bulwark of privacy protection against policing,” said professor Orin S. Kerr of Stanford Law School, whose work on 4th Amendment injunctions was cited in the Justice Department’s briefing.

From Los Angeles Times

Supposed state sovereignty was another bulwark in protecting slavery.

From Salon

Strategic experts argue that Washington views Delhi as a bulwark against an increasingly assertive China.

From BBC

The bulwark against a president-demagogue disappears when one party controls the Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court.

From Salon

Related Words

• bastion 
• fortress 
• mainstay 
• redoubt