Bulwark

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: bul=wark

CIDE DICTIONARY

Bulwark, n. [Akin to D. bolwerk, G. bollwerk, Sw. bolwerk, Dan. bolvärk, bulvärk, rampart; akin to G. bohle plank, and werk work, defense. See Bole stem, and Work, n., and cf. Boulevard.].

•  A rampart; a fortification; a bastion or outwork.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which secures against an enemy, or defends from attack; any means of defense or protection.  [1913 Webster]

  "The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defense, . . . the floating bulwark of our island."  [1913 Webster]
•  The sides of a ship above the upper deck, usually a fencelike structure around the deck.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- See Rampart.

Bulwark, v. t. 

 To fortify with, or as with, a rampart or wall; to secure by fortification; to protect.  [1913 Webster]
"Of some proud city, bulwarked round and armed
With rising towers."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Bulwark, n.
1 a defensive wall, esp. of earth; a rampart; a mole or breakwater.
2 a person, principle, etc., that acts as a defence.
3 (usu. in pl.) a ship's side above deck.

Etymology

ME f. MLG, MDu. bolwerk: see BOLE(1), WORK

THESAURUS

Bulwark

abatis, abutment, advanced work, aegis, arc-boutant, arch dam, arm guard, backstop, balistraria, bamboo curtain, bank, banquette, bar, barbed-wire entanglement, barbican, barrage, barricade, barrier, bartizan, bastion, battlement, beam, bear-trap dam, beaver dam, boom, breakwater, breastwork, brick wall, buffer, bulkhead, bumper, buttress, buttress pier, buttressing, casemate, cheval-de-frise, circumvallation, citadel, cofferdam, contraceptive, contravallation, copyright, counterscarp, cover, crash helmet, curtain, cushion, dam, dashboard, defend, defense, demibastion, dike, ditch, dodger, drawbridge, earthwork, embankment, enclosure, entanglement, escarp, escarpment, face mask, fence, fend, fender, fieldwork, finger guard, flying buttress, foot guard, fort, fortalice, fortification, fortress, fuse, gate, glacis, goggles, governor, gravity dam, groin, guard, guardrail, hand guard, handrail, hanging buttress, hard hat, helmet, hydraulic-fill dam, insulation, interlock, iron curtain, jam, jetty, jutty, knee guard, knuckle guard, laminated glass, leaping weir, levee, life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, logjam, loophole, lunette, machicolation, mantelet, mask, merlon, milldam, moat, mole, mound, mudguard, nose guard, outwork, pad, padding, palisade, palladium, parados, parapet, patent, pier, pier buttress, pilot, portcullis, postern gate, preventive, prophylactic, protect, protective clothing, protective umbrella, rampart, ravelin, redan, redoubt, retaining wall, roadblock, rock-fill dam, safeguard, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, sally port, scarp, sconce, screen, seat belt, seawall, secure, shelter, shield, shin guard, shoulder, shutter dam, stockade, stone wall, stronghold, sun helmet, tenaille, umbrella, vallation, vallum, wall, weir, wicket dam, windscreen, windshield, work

ROGET THESAURUS

Bulwark

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.