boulevard

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a broad, often tree-lined city avenue

   They strolled along the boulevard beneath the plane trees.

Simplified etymology

Boulevard entered English in the mid-18th century from French, initially for the broad, tree-lined avenues created on the sites of demolished Paris fortifications. French boulevard had earlier meant ‘the horizontal top of a rampart’ and came from the same German and Dutch word as bulwark; its elements are related to bole ‘tree trunk’ and work.

From French boulevard, originally 'rampart, promenade on a former rampart', from Middle Dutch bolwerc ('bulwark'), the same source as English bulwark; the broad walkways were built atop demolished fortifications.

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External links

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