Skip to content
word of the day

Table of Contents

The word for today is…

bivouac (noun, verb) –

noun

1 : a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter
2a : encampment usually for a night
 b : a temporary or casual shelter or lodging

verb

1 : to make a bivouac
2 : to take shelter often temporarily

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : In his 1841 dictionary, Noah Webster observed bivouac to be a French borrowing having military origins. He defined the noun bivouac as “the guard or watch of a whole army, as in cases of great danger of surprise or attack” and the verb as “to watch or be on guard, as a whole army.” The French word is derived from the Low German word biwacht, which translates to “by guard.” Germans used the word specifically for a patrol of citizens who assisted the town watch at night. Today, bivouac has less to do with guarding and patrolling than it does with taking shelter.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Is Cannabis Really a Danger to Society?

Is Cannabis Really a Danger to Society?

The argument that marijuana is a gateway drug and causes psychosis, violence and crime has long been used to support its criminalisation, the war on drugs, and draconian control measures. In this article, I will argue why these claims are not based on reality.

Members Public