bivouac
/ˈbɪv.u.æk/ noun, verb
Forms bivouacs bivouacks bivouacing bivouacking bivouacked bivouack biouac bivoac bihovac bivy bivvy
- noun An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering.
- noun Any temporary encampment.
- noun A temporary shelter constructed generally for a few nights.
- noun (dated) The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack.
- noun (zoology) A structure formed by migratory ants out of their own bodies to protect the queen and larvae.
- verb (transitive, intransitive) To set up camp. “We'll bivouac here tonight.”
- verb (intransitive) To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army.
- verb (intransitive) To encamp for the night without tents or covering.
Synonyms
camp encampment cantonment campsite campground camping site camping ground camping area encamp camp out tent
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [F. bivouac, bivac, prab. fr. G. beiwache, or beiwacht; bei by, near + wachen to watch, wache watch, guard. See By, and Watch.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bivouac”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details