Definition of BASTIONS

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Bastion is constructed of etymological building blocks that are very similar to those of "bastille" (a word now used as a general term for a prison, but probably best known as the name of the Parisian fortress-turned-prison stormed by an angry mob at the start of the French Revolution). The history of "bastion" can be traced through Middle French to the Old Italian verb bastire, which means "to build." "Bastille" descends from the Old Occitan verb "bastir," which also means "to build." "Bastir" and "bastire" are themselves of Germanic origin and akin to the Old High German word besten, meaning "to patch."

Examples of bastion in a Sentence

the rebel army retreated to its bastion in the mountains to regroup

Recent Examples on the Web

The poor were thought to be the regime’s last bastion of power, tied to theocracy by piety and the welfare state. — Reuel Marc Gerecht And, WSJ, "Don’t Fear Regime Change in Iran," 11 June 2018 Expect brews from bastions of the Chicago beer scene, like Revolution, and exhibits on the histories of the city’s brewing and water supply. — Emma Krupp, RedEye Chicago, "Summer 2018 guide to Chicago's Riverwalk," 7 June 2018 All eyes are on three battleground districts in Orange County, a one-time conservative bastion that backed Hillary Clinton in 2016. — Fox News, "Preparations for a Trump-Kim summit getting back on track," 3 June 2018 In 1991, Skull and Bones — the bastion of the old boys’ club tradition — began to admit women into its ranks. — refinery29.com, "How Real Ivy League Secret Societies Compare To The Ones In Dear White People," 7 May 2018 The magnificent palaces, towers, bastions, ramparts and gateways symbolize the power of the mighty Mughals. — Antonia Neubauer, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Asia," 5 Oct. 2016 The second strike targeted civil servants in Ghazni province, which lies to the southwest of Kabul and is a Taliban bastion. — Washington Post, "World Digest: July 10, 2018," 10 July 2018 At the height of the migrant crisis, Italy had been a progressive bastion and a staunch supporter of European unity. — Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "Migrants were welcome in Macerata, before a murder," 7 July 2018 At the height of the migrant crisis, Italy had been a progressive bastion and a staunch supporter of European unity. — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, "This Italian Town Once Welcomed Migrants. Now, It’s a Symbol for Right-Wing Politics," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bastion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for bastion

borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Italian bastione, from bastia "small quadrangular fortress" (from an Upper Italian counterpart to Tuscan bastita, from feminine past participle of bastire "to build," probably borrowed from Old Occitan bastir "to weave, build," or its Gallo-Romance ancestor) + -one, augmentative suffix (going back to Latin -ō, -ōn-, suffix of nouns denoting persons with a prominent feature) — more at bastille

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