A “bulwark” (BUL-wurk) – from the Dutch or German for “tree trunk” + “work” – is a person, thing, or concept that is a defense or protection.
Example (as used by John E. Miller in Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder): “For Laura’s mother the church, in addition to what spiritual significance it possessed, stood out as a bulwark of civilization in the midst of a still forming, rough frontier culture.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
Similar Articles:
- The Last Frontier – To make money on stocks, go where the growth is. Right now, the so-called frontier markets are hoggi…
- It’s Fun to Know: The Fish That Lives in a Tree – Scientists have recently discovered a species of fish that can live inside trees for several months …
- Word to the Wise: Adumbrate – To "adumbrate" (uh-DUM-brate) – from the Latin for "shadow" – is to foreshadow o…
- It’s Fun to Know: Swinging Through the Trees Like Tarzan – Tree houses and rope swings aren’t just for kids anymore. And the action isn’t confined to the backy…
- Are You Allergic to Christmas Trees? – Ah, the joys of trimming the Christmas tree: hanging decorations, untangling strings of lights, spri…
- Anagogic – Something that’s “anagogic” (an-uh-GOJ-ik) – from the Greek for “to lift up” – has a secondary spiri…
- It’s Fun to Know: The World’s Tallest Known Tree – In a remote section of California’s Redwood National Park stands Hyperion, the world’s tallest known…