Outposts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A military or strategic position located at a distance from the main base
2. a settlement or community established in a remote area for economic or research purposes
3. an advance position used for surveillance and early warning in defense systems

Etymology: The word is a compound of "out" and "post." "Post" comes from Latin "positus," past participle of "ponere," "to place," which reached English through Old French "poste" and was in use by the Middle English period. Its sense of a fixed place of duty or station developed from the idea of something set in position. "Out" is the Old English adverb meaning away from the centre or inside. Put together, "outpost" originally described a soldier or sentry stationed away from the main body of an army, guarding its approaches. The sense extended over time to any settlement or station set at the edge of a territory, such as a frontier trading site or a remote government office. The formation follows a pattern English uses widely, with "out" modifying a noun to mean "situated beyond" or "at the periphery," as in "outskirts" and "outlying." The exact date of the compound's first recorded use is uncertain, so it is not given here.

Synonyms: outposts, footholds, strongholds