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

The medieval ramparts ripple over the hill like the tail of a mighty dragon, and the panorama swings around from the sparkling sea and port to the sunbaked city and mountains. —Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023

The walls were first laid out in the early 12th century and some of the ramparts were damaged in the quake, Al Aoula TV reported. —Hamdi Alkhshali, CNN, 8 Sep. 2023

The ramparts are intact – complete with arrow slits. —Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023

Refugees fleeing from the Mongols also sought shelter within the city’s ramparts. —Nicholas Morton, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2023

The Boss From Beijing Prato’s Chinatown starts just outside the stone ramparts, narrow lanes and Romanesque cathedral of the city’s historic center. —Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 12 July 2023

But other vestiges of the city’s makeshift ramparts remain, including the iron fence surrounding the nearby federal courthouse, as well as the boards blocking the main entrance to the Multnomah County Justice Center and the glass arcade above it. —oregonlive, 22 June 2023

But Lithuania’s government sees itself on the ramparts of a broader geopolitical struggle. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 11 July 2023

But with some 6,000 tourists streaming through the ramparts every day, visitors may at least want to avoid the peak summer months of July and August. —Melanie Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2023

See More

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