Today's Word "palisade"
A fence of stakes forming a defense
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Published in Vocabulary
palisade \pal-uh-SADE\ (noun) - 1 : A fence of stakes forming a defense. 2 : A line of steep cliffs, especially along a river.
(verb tr.) - To fortify with palisades.
"The many books, manuals, magazines, technical journals, and other reference materials which surrounded Caroline's desk were all topped by assorted bottles and empty diet-soda cans, forming a sort of palisade which kept anyone from finding easy entrance to her workspace."
From French palissade, Latin palus (stake). Ultimately from Indo-European root pag- (to fasten) that is also the source of peace, pacify, pact, travel, compact, pagan, and peasant.