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Glite Dictionary
drawbridge

drawbridge

15 5.5
A bridge that can be raised to let boats pass or to stop people from crossing
  • noun
  • /ˈdrɔːˌbrɪdʒ/
translation icon : puente levadizo
  • The castle's drawbridge lowered slowly, allowing the knights to enter safely.
  • pull up the drawbridge
  • lower the drawbridge
  • raise the drawbridge

Independent, yes, but open to I never want us to pull up the drawbridge and retreat from the world.

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Examples

  • Then the sirens sounded their cue, and the drawbridge lifted up before us to allow passage for a tall-masted sailboat.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • By the time Lady Angela rode across the drawbridge, Baron Raimond was waiting to greet her.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I hope the drawbridge is down.

    Written on the Wind (1956)

  • The drawbridge is down, people.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

  • This is an ancient drawbridge.

    Onward (2020)

  • I am to lower the drawbridge at two hours past midnight.

    The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)

  • And only the king can order the drawbridge lowered.

    Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979)

  • Get past the guardian, cross the drawbridge, open the door.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • We'll escort the ministers inside tomorrow, and then we'll raise the drawbridge again.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • There's not much time before the drawbridge lowers.

    Stranger at the Pentagon (2013)

Synonyms

lift bridge
vsdrawbridge
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A bridge with a section that rises so ships can pass under it

is broader and covers movable spans that raise lower or move sideways

Surface Forms

drawbridge singular
drawbridges plural

Morphology

drawbridge = draw + bridge (transparent) = draw + bridge

The meaning is a straightforward compound: a bridge that can be drawn (raised or lowered), so knowing 'draw' and 'bridge' allows inference of the sense.

Etymology

The word drawbridge comes from the parts draw (meaning 'to pull') and bridge, and it names a bridge you can pull up or lower to let boats pass or to block the way.