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

The new retractable bollards blocking East Exchange Avenue at the intersection with North Main Street were recently added to protect pedestrian traffic during the World Cup. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026

After several short-term extensions to the car-free program, the council agreed to permanently close it to cars last March, and enhanced the strip with additional infrastructure like planters, bollards, colored pavement and bike lane markings. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 9 June 2026

Tourists sit on a bollard at the Sydney Opera House. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 June 2026

Aiello believes the bollard fence planned for the area will be just as bad as wire over time. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 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