Meaning: Bulwark means a defensive wall, a rampart or any protection against external danger.
Origin: The term, dating back to the early 15th Century, came from Middle Dutch bulwerke or Middle High German bolwerc, from bole “plank, tree trunk” + were “work”. Thus “bole-work,” a construction of logs. It took on the figurative meaning of defence or security from the mid-15th Century.
Usage: Vaccines act as a bulwark against many infectious diseases. When the leader travels abroad, his guards accompany him as a bulwark against enemy attack. I got drenched in the rain as I did not have an umbrella or any such bulwark to protect me from the downpour.
Picture Credit : Google
