Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Bastion

bastion  noun | BAS-chun   Definition 1 : a projecting part of a fortification 2 : a fortified area or position 3 a : a place of security or survival b : a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic Scroll down for more about bastion  TRENDING NOW: oligarch glib depose omnibus SEE ALL  PEOPLE ARE READING 'Advisor' vs. 'Adviser': Who Will Win? Know Your Baseball Idioms Can 'Over' Mean "More Than"? To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.   PLAY NOW   Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE   Did You Know? Bastion is constructed of etymological building blocks that are very similar to those of bastille (a word now used as a general term for a prison, but probably best known as the name of the Parisian fortress-turned-prison stormed by an angry mob at the start of the French Revolution). The history of bastion can be traced through Middle French to the Old Italian verb bastire, which means "to build." Bastille descends from the Old Occitan verb bastir, which also means "to build." Bastir and bastire are themselves of Germanic origin and akin to the Old High German word besten, meaning "to patch." Examples of BASTION "For a century, the automobile has been a bastion of liberty, freeing up almost everybody from the tyranny of other people's schedules." — Charles C. W. Cooke, The National Review, 18 Dec. 2017 "… pets have become a tolerated extension of their owners, accompanying them everywhere they go. It was only a matter of time before spas and resorts followed suit. These latest animal-friendly bastions go out of their way to offer cosseted companions an experience as luxurious as the ones enjoyed by their human escorts." — Chloe Malle, Vogue, January 2018 Name That Synonym Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of bastion in the sense of "a place dominated by a particular group or characteristic": AIECLTD. VIEW THE ANSWER   WEBBY AWARDS Help Merriam-Webster Win A Webby! We’re thrilled that our app is nominated in the Education & Reference category. Please vote for us and show that words matter! VOTE NOW

MORE WORD FUN: WORD GAMES TRENDING NOW WORDS AT PLAY

WORD OF THE DAY April 8, 2018