biv·ou·ac

[biv-oo-ak, biv-wak] noun, verb, biv·ou·acked, biv·ou·ack·ing.
noun
1.
a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire.
2.
the place used for such an encampment.
verb (used without object)
3.
to rest or assemble in such an area; encamp.

Origin:
1700–10; < French < Swiss German bīwacht auxiliary patrol, equivalent to bī- by- + wacht patrol, watch

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To Bivouac
Collins
World English Dictionary
bivouac (ˈbɪvʊˌæk, ˈbɪvwæk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a temporary encampment with few facilities, as used by soldiers, mountaineers, etc
 
vb , -acs, -acking, -acked
2.  (intr) to make such an encampment
 
[C18: from French bivuac, probably from Swiss German Beiwacht, literally: by + watch]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Bivouac is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
to spend time idly; loaf.
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bivouac
1702, from Fr. bivouac, ultimately from Swiss/Alsatian biwacht "night guard," from bei- "double, additional" + wacht "guard." Original meaning was an army that stayed up on night watch; sense of "outdoor camp" is 1853. Not a common word in English before the Napoleonic Wars. Italian bivacco is from French.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Bivouac usage occurs when the need arises, months of usage vary.
Permits are not required for mountaineering, but climbers on overnight trips
  must have a backcountry permit to camp or bivouac.
The records are arranged alphabetically by the name of the town in which the
  bivouac was located.
The airport provided bivouac areas for the majority of soldiers and airmen
  providing security and relief services.
Related Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT