Meanings
plural bulwarks
- A defensive wall or rampart.
Let thouſands die, their ſlaughtered Carkaſſes Shal ſerue for walles and bulwarkes to the reſt:
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii - A breakwater.
- nauticalThe planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale that reduces the likelihood of seas washing over the gunwales and people being washed overboard.
Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots, reminding one of the bulwarks of some condemned old craft.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 3, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 11 - figurativelyAny means of defence or security.
The party stalwarts constitute the bulwark that ensures the president's term of office.
1 more example
Willing to upend the nation’s postwar role as a bulwark against authoritarianism, he promises to usher in a foreign policy rooted in “America First” transactionalism.
2024 December 12, Eric Cortellessa, “Donald Trump 2024 TIME Person of the Year”, in Time, archived from the original on 22 Dec 2024
present singular third person bulwarks · participle present bulwarking · participle past bulwarked · past bulwarked
- transitiveTo fortify something with a wall or rampart.
- transitiveTo provide protection of defense for something.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Low Germanbolwerk
- Middle Dutchbolwerk
- Middle Englishbulwerk
- Englishbulwark
From Middle English bulwerk, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, bolwerc and Middle Low German bolwerk, equivalent to bole (“tree trunk”) + work. Cognate with German Bollwerk, Danish bolværk, Swedish bålverk, Dutch bolwerk. Doublet of boulevard (from French boulevard, from Dutch); cognate with Portuguese and Spanish baluarte and Italian baluardo.
More words from Middle English, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حِصْن
- حِصْن (ḥiṣn)defensive wall or rampart
Bulgarian реду́т, бастио́н
- реду́т (redút)defensive wall or rampart
- бастио́н (bastión)defensive wall or rampart
- опо́ра (opóra)defense or safeguard
- защи́та (zaštíta)defense or safeguard
- фалшбо́рд (falšbórd)nautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Catalan baluard, baluard
- baluarddefensive wall or rampart
- baluarddefense or safeguard
- muradanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
- orlanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Czech val, záštita
- valdefensive wall or rampart
- záštitadefense or safeguard
- hrazenínautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Danish bolværk, bolværk
- bolværkdefensive wall or rampart
- bolværkdefense or safeguard
Dutch bolwerk, verschansing
- bolwerkdefensive wall or rampart
- verschansingdefense or safeguard
- schansdefense or safeguard
- verschansingnautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Esperanto remparo, pavezo
- remparodefensive wall or rampart
- pavezonautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Estonian kaitsevall
- kaitsevalldefensive wall or rampart
Finnish suojamuuri, suojavalli
- suojamuuridefensive wall or rampart
- suojavallidefensive wall or rampart
- suojamuuridefense or safeguard
- lisälaitanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
- varalaitanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
- varpenautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
French rempart, bastion
- rempartdefensive wall or rampart
- bastiondefense or safeguard
- rempartdefense or safeguard
- bastingagenautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
- pavoisnautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
German Bollwerk, Bollwerk
- Bollwerkdefensive wall or rampart
- Bollwerkdefense or safeguard
- Schanzkleidnautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Hungarian bástya, védfal
- bástyadefensive wall or rampart
- védfaldefensive wall or rampart
- védőfaldefensive wall or rampart
- védelemdefense or safeguard
Icelandic bolvirki, bolverk
- bolvirkidefensive wall or rampart
- bolverkdefensive wall or rampart
Irish bábhún
- bábhúndefensive wall or rampart
Italian baluardo, impavesata
- baluardodefensive wall or rampart
- impavesatanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Japanese 堡塁, 藩屛
- 堡塁 (hourui)defensive wall or rampart
- 藩屛 (hanpei)defense or safeguard
Latin agger, arx
- aggerdefensive wall or rampart
- arxdefense or safeguard
Māori papatū, pākai
- papatūdefensive wall or rampart
- pākaidefensive wall or rampart
- rauawanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Norwegian bolverk
- bolverkdefensive wall or rampart
Persian بارو, سنگر
- بارو (bâru)defensive wall or rampart
- سنگر (sangar)defense or safeguard
Polish wał, szaniec
- wałdefensive wall or rampart
- szaniecdefensive wall or rampart
Portuguese baluarte, baluarte
- baluartedefensive wall or rampart
- baluartedefense or safeguard
- amuradanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Russian вал, бастио́н
- вал (val)defensive wall or rampart
- бастио́н (bastión)defensive wall or rampart
- реду́т (redút)defensive wall or rampart
- опло́т (oplót)defense or safeguard
- защи́та (zaščíta)defense or safeguard
- опо́ра (opóra)defense or safeguard
- фальшбо́рт (falʹšbórt)nautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Scottish Gaelic bàbhan, mùr
- bàbhandefensive wall or rampart
- mùrdefensive wall or rampart
Spanish baluarte, baluarte
- baluartedefensive wall or rampart
- baluartedefense or safeguard
- amuradanautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Swedish bålverk
- bålverkdefensive wall or rampart
Tagalog balwarte
- balwartedefensive wall or rampart
Ukrainian вал, бастіон
- вал (val)defensive wall or rampart
- бастіон (bastion)defensive wall or rampart
- опора (opora)defense or safeguard
- оплот (oplot)defense or safeguard
- захист (zaxyst)defense or safeguard
- фальшборт (falʹšbort)nautical: planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale
Yiddish וואַל
- וואַל (val)defensive wall or rampart
Cite this entry
bulwark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulwark
“bulwark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulwark. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bulwark,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulwark.
Source: bulwark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.