Blockhouse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sturdy, usually fortified building constructed with resilient materials for use in military defense situations
2. A stronghold composed of solid materials meant to provide safety and tactical support during warfare
3. A robust structure built of durable materials designed for protection and military purposes during conflicts

Etymology: A blockhouse is, quite literally, a house made of blocks. "Block" here refers to heavy squared timbers or logs laid horizontally, and "house" is the ordinary word for a dwelling. The English term is a calque, meaning a word built by translating its parts into English rather than borrowing the whole, of German "Blockhaus," which is built on the same pattern of "block" plus "house." The sense of a fortified military structure grew from that plain construction. Log buildings of this kind were sturdy, quick to raise, and could stop small-arms fire, so they served as defensive posts on frontiers and in wartime. The name thus describes the building material first and the defensive purpose only secondarily, which is why a word that sounds like a domestic dwelling ended up meaning a fort.

Synonyms: fortified structure, bunker, shelter