palisade

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a defensive fence or barrier made from a close row of strong pointed wooden stakes

   A timber palisade enclosed the frontier settlement.

2. 2
   noun

   a long strong stake used with others to form such a barrier

   Each palisade was driven deeply into the earth before dawn.

3. 3
   noun

   a line of high, steep cliffs resembling a defensive wall

   Dark palisades rose above the river's western bank.

4. 4
   verb

   to surround or defend a place with a palisade

   The soldiers palisaded the camp before nightfall.

Borrowed through French palissade from Occitan palissada, built on pal, 'stake,' ultimately from Latin palus, 'stake.' The original defensive fence of stakes gave rise by resemblance to the geographical sense 'a line of steep cliffs.'

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