gabion

[ gey-bee-uhn ]

noun
  1. a cylinder of wickerwork filled with earth, used as a military defense.

  2. a metal cylinder filled with stones and sunk in water, used in laying the foundations of a dam or jetty.

Origin of gabion

1
1570–80; <Middle French: rough, two-handled basket <Italian gabbione, augmentative of gabbia cage <Latin cavea cavity, cage

Words Nearby gabion

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British Dictionary definitions for gabion

gabion

/ (ˈɡeɪbɪən) /


noun
  1. a cylindrical metal container filled with stones, used in the construction of underwater foundations

  2. a wickerwork basket filled with stones or earth, used (esp formerly) as part of a fortification

Origin of gabion

1
C16: from French: basket, from Italian gabbione, from gabbia cage, from Latin cavea; see cage

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