different between bivouac vs bivouack

English

Alternative forms

• bivouack
• biouac, biovac, bihovac (obsolete)
• bivy, bivvy (shortening)

Etymology

Borrowed from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b?v.u.æk/, /?b?v.wæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Noun

bivouac (plural bivouacs)

1. An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering.
2. Any temporary encampment.
3. A temporary shelter constructed generally for a few nights.
   • 2005, Boston Globe, September 23, 2005

     The outing begins by Thursday noon, when the recreational vehicles start rumbling into town and their owners set up bivouacs.

4. (dated) The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack.
5. (zoology) A structure formed by migratory ants out of their own bodies to protect the queen and larvae.

Translations

Verb

bivouac (third-person singular simple present bivouacs or bivouacks, present participle bivouacing or bivouacking, simple past and past participle bivouacked)

1. To set up camp.

   We'll bivouac here tonight.

2. To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army.
3. To encamp for the night without tents or covering.

Translations

French

Alternative forms

• bivac, bivoie, biouac

Etymology

From earlier bivoie, biouac, bivac, from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“a patrol of citizens added - in time of alarm or commotion - to the regular town watch”), from bii- (“by-”) + Wacht (“watch, guard”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.vwak/

Noun

bivouac m (plural bivouacs)

1. bivouac (encampment for the night)

Derived terms

• bivouaquer

Descendants

• ? Bulgarian: ????? (bivak)
• ? Czech: bivak
• ? Danish: bivuak
• ? Dutch: bivak
• ? English: bivouac, bivouack
• ? German: Biwak
• ? Galician: bivaque
• ? Hungarian: bivak
• ? Italian: bivacco
• ? Japanese: ???? (bib?ku)
• ? Macedonian: ????? (bivak)
• ? Polish: biwak
• ? Portuguese: bivaque
• ? Russian: ????? (bivak), ?????? (bivuak)
• ? Slovak: bivak
• ? Slovene: bivak
• ? Spanish: vivac, vivaque
• ? Swedish: bivack

Further reading

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

English

Noun

bivouack (plural bivouacks)

1. Archaic form of bivouac.
   • 1867, Chatterbox (page 100)

     When we had found a bivouack, all pressed round the corpse of the little fellow. Strange, we had so many brave comrades to mourn for, and yet this boy excited our special sympathy.

Verb

bivouack (third-person singular simple present bivouacks, present participle bivouacking, simple past and past participle bivouacked)

1. Archaic form of bivouac.