bulwark Definition

bulwark
noun

1. A wall built as a defence, often one made of earth; a rampart.

Thesaurus: bastion, buttress, fortification, partition, rampart, security, support, embankment, defence, buffer.
2. A breakwater or sea-wall.
3. Someone or something that defends a cause or way of life, etc.
4. naut.
The side of a ship projecting above the deck.
Form: bulwarks (especially)

verb

bulwarked, bulwarking
1. To defend or fortify something.

Etymology: 15c: from Dutch bolwerc, from German bol plank + werc work.