Definition

Noun: A rampart is a broad, elevated defensive wall or embankment, typically made of earth and stone, built around a castle, fort, or city to protect it from attack.

Usage

A rampart is a singular noun referring to a specific type of fortification. It is often used in historical or military contexts. * The ancient city was surrounded by massive ramparts. * Soldiers stood guard along the rampart, watching for the enemy.

Examples

• The castle's rampart provided a strong defense against invaders.
• Archaeologists are studying the remains of the Roman rampart.
• From the top of the rampart, we had a clear view of the surrounding countryside.

Advanced Usage

• "The ramparts": This plural form is frequently used to refer to the entire defensive walls or fortifications of a place, often in a figurative sense.
  • Protesters stormed the ramparts of the government building. (Figurative use meaning they attacked the seat of power or authority.)
• "To man the ramparts": An idiom meaning to take up a defensive position or to be ready to defend something, such as an idea or principle.
  • The activists vowed to man the ramparts for freedom of speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Ramparted (adjective): Describes a place that is defended or surrounded by a rampart.
  • The ramparted city withstood the siege.

Synonyms

• Bulwark: A defensive wall or something that serves as a principal defense.
• Parapet: A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or rampart.
• Fortification: A military construction designed for defense.

Different Meanings

The word rampart is almost exclusively used in the context of defensive structures. It does not have common, significantly different meanings in modern English.

Idioms and Phrases

• Rampart of defense: A phrase emphasizing something that serves as a strong protective barrier.
  • The new policy was intended as a rampart of defense against economic instability.

Noun

1. an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
   • they stormed the ramparts of the city
   • they blew the trumpet and the walls came tumbling down