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In his 1841 dictionary, Noah Webster observed bivouac to be a French borrowing having military origins. He defined the noun bivouac as "the guard or watch of a whole army, as in cases of great danger of surprise or attack" and the verb as "to watch or be on guard, as a whole army." The French word is derived from the Low German word biwacht, which translates to "by guard." Germans used the word specifically for a patrol of citizens who assisted the town watch at night. Today, bivouac has less to do with guarding and patrolling than it does with taking shelter.
Synonyms
Examples of bivouac in a Sentence
Curbed, 29 Nov. 2023
The team carrying the stretcher had passed a bivouac site about 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, below the surface on Sunday, the European Cave Rescue Association said.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2023
Kovacs said lifting Dickey could take several days and that several bivouac points are being prepared along the way so the rescue personnel and Dickey can rest.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 7 Sep. 2023
Under the proposal, the cost of camping in both traditional campgrounds, like Watchman, and in wilderness areas, like a bivouac along a rock wall, would go up in most instances.
—Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Aug. 2023
The bivouac fell into a ravine, but no one happened to be in the building at the time.
—Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2023
There is a name for any alcohol-free bivouac of sportsmen.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Oct. 2020
When the bivouac is fully formed and the recording has ended, the team remove the ants using the vacuum cleaner and release them again into the chamber where the nest-building process begins all over again.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2021
During that event, Jacky Ickx autographed the hood at the Dakar bivouac, a fitting tribute for any desert-driving Porsche.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2022
Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023
Thousands of those fighters are now bivouacked in Belarus.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 23 July 2023
Mazzei’s vineyards showed promise but, according to one legend, were destroyed during the Revolutionary War by rambunctious Hessian prisoners bivouacked there.
—Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2023
And now comes the coronavirus, which has prompted people to bivouac in their homes, theaters to put in place social-distancing restrictions and studios to postpone most theatrical releases through the end of April.
—New York Times, 14 Mar. 2020
At the end of Pine Creek Canyon Road, nearly 800 girls are bivouacked at Camp Lo-Mia, a retreat for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
—AZCentral.com, 23 July 2019
During the Civil War, troops bivouacked in farm fields.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 1 May 2018
At night, the POWs bivouacked in fields
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, 5 Sep. 2017
Kansas volunteers bivouacked in the East Room to protect Abraham Lincoln, and the president tested rifles on the grounds around the house.
—Daniel S. Levy / Time Books, Time, 2 Aug. 2017
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bivouac.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun and Verb
French, from Low German biwacht, from bi by + wacht guard
Noun
1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1809, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
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Dictionary Entries Near bivouac
Cite this Entry
“Bivouac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bivouac. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bivouac
1 of 2 noun
bivouac
2 of 2 verbNoun
French, from a German dialect word biwacht, literally, "on guard"
More from Merriam-Webster on bivouac
Nglish: Translation of bivouac for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bivouac for Arabic Speakers
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