different between bastion vs breastwork

English

Etymology

First attested in 1562. From French bastion, from Old French bastille (“fortress”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?bæsti.?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?bæsti.?n/, /?bæst??n/
• ,
• Homophone: Bastian

Noun

bastion (plural bastions)

1. (architecture) A projecting part of a rampart or other fortification.
   • 1942, Emily Carr, The Book of Small, "Beginnings," [1]

     […] Fort Camosun had swelled herself from being a little Hudson's Bay Fort, inside a stockade with bastions at the corners, into being the little town of Victoria, and the capital of British Columbia.

2. A well-fortified position; a stronghold or citadel.
3. (figuratively) A person, group, or thing, that strongly defends some principle.

Related terms

• bastille
• bastioned

Translations

Verb

bastion (third-person singular simple present bastions, present participle bastioning, simple past and past participle bastioned)

1. (transitive) To furnish with a bastion.

Anagrams

• Bostian, obtains, stiboan

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French bastion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b?s.ti??n/
• Hyphenation: bas?ti?on
• Rhymes: -?n

Noun

bastion n (plural bastions, diminutive bastionnetje n)

1. bastion; a projecting part of a rampart

   Synonym: bolwerk

French

Etymology

From Middle French bastion, from Old French bastille (“fortress”). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bas.tj??/

Noun

bastion m (plural bastions)

1. bastion
2. stronghold

Descendants

• ? Polish: bastion

Further reading

• “bastion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• snobait

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian bastione, via French bastion

Noun

bastion m (definite singular bastionen, indefinite plural bastioner, definite plural bastionene)

1. a bastion (part of a fortification; also figurative)

References

• “bastion” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian bastione, via French bastion

Noun

bastion m (definite singular bastionen, indefinite plural bastionar, definite plural bastionane)

1. a bastion (part of a fortification; also figurative)

References

• “bastion” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From French bastion, from Old French bastille (“fortress”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ba.stj?n/

Noun

bastion m inan (diminutive bastionik)

1. (architecture) bastion, stronghold (place built to withstand attack)
2. (figuratively) stronghold (place of domination by, or refuge or survival of, a particular group or idea)

Declension

Derived terms

• (adjective) bastionowy

Further reading

• bastion in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• bastion in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From French bastion

Noun

bastion n (plural bastioane)

1. stronghold

Declension

Swedish

Noun

bastion c

1. bastion; a projecting part of a rampart

Declension

English

Etymology

breast +? work

Pronunciation

Noun

breastwork (plural breastworks)

1. A fortification consisting of a breast-high bulwark; a parapet.
2. (nautical) A railing on the quarter-deck and forecastle.
   • 1878, J. W. King, Report of Chief Engineer J. W. King, United States Navy On European Ships of War and Their Armament, Naval Administration and Economy, Marine Constructions and Appliances, Dockyards, etc., etc., Washington, p. 287, [2]

     The Independencia is a two-turreted, breastwork ship of 9,000 tons displacement. […] The central breastwork is 130 feet in length at the top of the belt, and extends to the upper deck, 11 feet above the water-line. This breastwork incloses the boiler and engine hatches, the scuttles to magazines and shell-rooms, the principal openings for ventilation, and the two turrets.

3. A parapet.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Episode 2

     A swarthy boy opened a book and propped it nimbly under the breastwork of his satchel. He recited jerks of verse with odd glances at the text:

4. (slang) Breast augmentation.

Translations