Word Study
bastion
CIDE DICTIONARY
bastion, n. [F. bastion (cf. It. bastione), fr. LL. bastire to build (cf. F. b, It. bastire), perh. from the idea of support for a weight, and akin to Gr. basta`zein to lift, carry, and to E. baston, baton.].
A work projecting outward from the main inclosure of a fortification, consisting of two faces and two flanks, and so constructed that it is able to defend by a flanking fire the adjacent curtain, or wall which extends from one bastion to another. Two adjacent bastions are connected by the curtain, which joins the flank of one with the adjacent flank of the other. The distance between the flanks of a bastion is called the gorge. A lunette is a detached bastion. See Ravelin. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
bastion, n.
1 a projecting part of a fortification built at an angle of, or against the line of, a wall.
2 a thing regarded as protecting (bastion of freedom).
3 a natural rock formation resembling a bastion.
1 a projecting part of a fortification built at an angle of, or against the line of, a wall.
2 a thing regarded as protecting (bastion of freedom).
3 a natural rock formation resembling a bastion.
Etymology
F f. It. bastione f. bastire build
THESAURUS
bastion
abatis, acropolis, advanced work, balistraria, bank, banquette, barbed-wire entanglement, barbican, barricade, barrier, bartizan, battlement, beachhead, blockhouse, breastwork, bridgehead, bulwark, bunker, casemate, castle, cheval-de-frise, circumvallation, citadel, contravallation, counterscarp, curtain, demibastion, dike, donjon, drawbridge, earthwork, enclosure, entanglement, escarp, escarpment, fasthold, fastness, fence, fieldwork, fort, fortalice, fortification, fortress, garrison, garrison house, glacis, hold, keep, loophole, lunette, machicolation, mantelet, martello, martello tower, merlon, mote, motte, mound, outwork, palisade, parados, parapet, peel, peel tower, pillbox, portcullis, post, postern gate, rampart, rath, ravelin, redan, redoubt, safehold, sally port, scarp, sconce, stockade, strong point, stronghold, tenaille, tower, tower of strength, vallation, vallum, ward, workROGET THESAURUS
bastion
Defense
N defense, protection, guard, ward, shielding, propugnation, preservation, guardianship, area defense, site defense, self-defense, self-preservation, resistance, safeguard, balistraria, bunker, screen, camouflage, fortification, munition, muniment, trench, foxhole, bulwark, fosse, moat, ditch, entrenchment, intrenchment, kila, dike, dyke, parapet, sunk fence, embankment, mound, mole, bank, sandbag, revetment, earth work, field- work, fence, wall dead wall, contravallation, paling, palisade, haha, stockade, stoccado, laager, sangar, barrier, barricade, boom, portcullis, chevaux de frise, abatis, abattis, abbatis, vallum, circumvallation, battlement, rampart, scarp, escarp, counter-scarp, glacis, casemate, vallation, vanfos, buttress, abutment, shore, breastwork, banquette, curtain, mantlet, bastion, redan, ravelin, vauntmure, advance work, horn work, outwork, barbacan, barbican, redoubt, fort-elage, fort-alice, lines, loophole, machicolation, sally port, hold, stronghold, fastness, asylum, keep, donjon, dungeon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle, tower of strength, tower of strength, fort, barracoon, pah, sconce, martello tower, peelhouse, blockhouse, rath, wooden walls, bulletproof vest, armored vest, buffer, corner stone, fender, apron, mask, gauntlet, thimble, carapace, armor, shield, buckler, aegis, breastplate, backplate, cowcatcher, face guard, scutum, cuirass, habergeon, mail, coat of mail, brigandine, hauberk, lorication, helmet, helm, bassinet, salade, heaume, morion, murrion, armet, cabaset, vizor, casquetel, siege cap, headpiece, casque, pickelhaube, vambrace, shako, bearskin, panoply, truncheon, garrison, picket, piquet, defender, protector, guardian, bodyguard, champion, knight-errant, Paladin, propugner, bulletproof window, hardened site, defending, defensive, mural, armed, armed at all points, armed cap-a-pie, armed to the teeth, panoplied, iron-plated, ironclad, loopholed, castellated, machicolated, casemated, defended, proof against, armored, ballproof, bulletproof, hardened, defensively, on the defense, on the defensive, in defense, at bay, pro aris et focis, Int, no surrender!, defense not defiance, Dieu defend le droit, fidei defensor, defender of the faith.For further exploring for "bastion" in Webster Dictionary Online
