blockhouse

noun

block·house | \ ˈbläk-ˌhau̇s

Definition of blockhouse

1a : a structure of heavy timbers formerly used for military defense with sides loopholed and pierced for gunfire and often with a projecting upper story

b : a small easily defended building for protection from enemy fire

2 : a building usually of reinforced concrete serving as an observation point for an operation likely to be accompanied by heat, blast, or radiation hazard

Examples of blockhouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Few, though, wander over to see the actual Fort Kent, a wooden blockhouse constructed during the Aroostook War of 1838-9, a border dispute between England and the United States that ended without a shot being fired. — New York Times, 15 June 2021 To see the historic blockhouse that once stood at the site, head east to Courthouse Square Park in downtown Dayton. — oregonlive, 29 May 2021 Originally built to limit conflict between white settlers and local Native American communities, the blockhouse was later used for storage and as a jail on the Grand Ronde Reservation. — oregonlive, 29 May 2021 The latest iteration in this illustrious line is awesomely fast, refined enough to drive every day, and built like a blockhouse. — Arthur St. Antoine, Car and Driver, 27 Nov. 2020 Clark rushed his team back into the blockhouse, but even within the thick walls, the level of radiation was still climbing. — Carl Zimmer, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2020 Another benefit of the blockhouse size and shape is cargo capacity. — Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2020 The old launch-pad blockhouses there had a single restroom — for men. — Washington Post, 15 July 2019 In one blockhouse after another, the telephone went dead. — Time, 6 June 2019 See More

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