bollard

noun

bol·​lard ˈbä-lərd 

British also ˈbä-ˌläd

1

: a post of metal or wood on a wharf around which to fasten mooring lines

2

: bitt sense 1

3

chiefly British : any of a series of short posts set at intervals to delimit an area (such as a traffic island) or to exclude vehicles

Examples of bollard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last summer, Republicans in Congress allocated Homeland Security $46 billion to finish the project, which will be a mixture of 30-foot-tall steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers and surveillance technology. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

The project includes the construction of 30-foot-tall bollard walls stretching from Fort Quitman, Texas, to Closed Canyon, which is located in Big Bend Ranch State Park. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

After intense opposition from environmentalists and local residents and business owners, the agency backed off plans this year to build a 30-foot-tall bollard wall through the park. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Workers this week were seen installing safety bollards, protective road posts, hidden beneath flower boxes along the edge of the sidewalk in front of Apple Store, 277 Nichols Road. — Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bole

First Known Use

circa 1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bollard

• collard
• collared
• hollered
• lollard
• pollard

Kids Definition

bollard

noun

bol·​lard ˈbäl-ərd 

: a post of metal or wood on a wharf around which to fasten mooring lines