Bridgehead

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fortified military position established on the enemy's side of a river or other obstacle ; a base from which further operations or expansion can be launched
2. A secured foothold that troops establish across a river or defensive line to enable deeper penetration ; a starting point or platform for broader strategic advance
3. A defensive stronghold created by forces that have crossed into hostile territory ; a foundation or foothold used to mount subsequent attacks or expansion

Etymology: "Bridgehead" is a calque, a word-for-word translation, of French "tête de pont," which means "head of a bridge." The English term is built from two plain parts, "bridge" and "head," and its sense comes straight from the French military phrase rather than from anything in the individual words alone. In the French original, the "head" is the fortified position at the end of a bridge nearest the enemy, the point a force must hold to cross. The military meaning carried over into English with the same logic: a bridgehead is a secured position on the far side of a river or other obstacle, held so that an army can bring more troops and equipment across. From there the sense widened to any foothold that makes a larger advance possible, so a company might establish a bridgehead in a new market, or a party might gain a bridgehead in a rival group.

Synonyms: beachhead, foothold, bastion