rampart

noun

ram·​part ˈram-ˌpärt 

-pərt

1

: a protective barrier : bulwark

2

: a broad embankment raised as a fortification and usually surmounted by a parapet

3

: a wall-like ridge (as of rock fragments, earth, or debris)

Examples of rampart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Between the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE, ramparts were built here by Celto-Ligurian tribes. —Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2024

From an admittedly unsustainable peak of over 12 million in 1945, the number of active U.S. troops had plummeted by nearly 90 percent; there were far too few to man the distant ramparts against the Soviet empire and its allies. —Mike Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2023

There are gravel ramparts and rubble patches and rocky outcroppings, all of which suggest an eventful history of working and reworking by the elements. —Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 26 June 2024

If there is to be another iteration of the Montreal Expos in the distant future, there should be a place on the ramparts of Olympic Stadium to honor the legacy of Sutherland. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from ramparer to fortify, from re- + emparer to defend, from Old Occitan emparar, from Vulgar Latin *imparare, from Latin in- in- entry 2 + parare to prepare — more at pare

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rampart

noun

ram·​part ˈram-ˌpärt 

-pərt

: a broad bank or wall raised as a protective barrier

also : any barrier that provides protection