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rampart

rampart

12 8.8
A wide wall of earth or stone that protects a castle
  • noun
  • /ˈræmˌpɑrt/
: muralla
  • The castle's ramparts provided a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside while ensuring protection from invaders.

Our army man the airport, it Rand the ramparts.

Examples

  • Against what kind of enemy were these ramparts intended to defend?

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The city is protected by huge ramparts with an entrance through a large gate.

    Academic text (1996)
  • It's great huge earthwork rampart that goes along southern Denmark, northern Germany.

  • The dune guards the land like a rampart against the sea's aggressive ambitions.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Testing confirmed that the rampart walls were coated with bone ash to make the patina more durable.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Directly before him stood the darkly dripping ramparts of the Old City.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The sheer reddish rocks dropped straight into the water like the ramparts of a fortress.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • For a snapshot, I pose on the ramparts of Fort Ticonderoga.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The fog was sweeping over the ramparts of the bridge, devouring the headlamps of cars.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The city was walled with high diamite ramparts, with only hidden tunnels allowing ingress.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

wall
vsrampart
∞ 1.0

A vertical structure that divides or surrounds an area, like part of a building

is a broad raised defensive barrier built mainly to protect a settlement
embankment
vsrampart
22 5.9

A raised bank of earth or stone that keeps water away and supports a road

focuses on military protection as a broad defensive barrier rather than water control
bulwark
vsrampart
11 8.6

A strong wall built to protect a place like a city or ship

is specifically a broad defensive earthwork built around forts or cities
fortification
vsrampart
9 6.6

A wall or earth mound built to protect a place from attack

is a particular broad defensive earthwork used around a fortified settlement
agger
vsrampart
  • Specialized
9.9

A raised bank of earth built to support a road or defend a place

is a broad defensive earthwork forming a protective barrier around a place

How Defensive

bulwark
11 8.6
rampart
12 8.8
wall
∞ 1.0
embankment
22 5.9
bank
160 3.0

Surface Forms

rampart singular
ramparts plural

Etymology

The word rampart comes from the old French rempart, a word for a wall built to 'protect' a town from attack. Think of a rampart as a wide, raised earth wall that 'keeps enemies back', which is why a rampart today means the protective wall around a fort or castle.