bivouac
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bivouac
- /ˈbɪv.u.æk/
- /ˈbɪv.wæk/
Rhymes with -æk
Where it comes from
Unadapted borrowing from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”).
noun bivouacs · bivouack · biouac · bivoac · bihovac · bivy
- An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering. Townsend hare inhabit this area, particularly above the cabin, and a skier is likely to have one explode from a tree well and disappear into the whiteness as he skis by. Life is a constant bivouac for them -- they spend days huddled in tree wells during storms -- but I suspect they are as content an
- Any temporary encampment.
- A temporary shelter constructed generally for a few nights. Behold the Mansion reared by Dædal Jack! See the Malt stored in many a plethoric sack, In the proud cirque of Juan's bivouac!
- The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack.
- A structure formed by migratory ants out of their own bodies to protect the queen and larvae. Army ants (genus Eciton) migrating and gathering in a bivouac.
verb bivouacs · bivouacks · bivouacing · bivouacking · bivouacked
- To set up camp. We'll bivouac here tonight.
- To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army.
- To encamp for the night without tents or covering.
Translations
Every language
noun encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering
| Español | vivac, vivaque |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ビバーク bibāku, 露営 roei |
| 中文 | 露宿 lùsù, 露營 /露营 lùyíng, 野營 /野营 yěyíng |
| Português | bivaque |
| Français | bivouac |
| Deutsch | Biwak |
| Italiano | bivacco |
| Română | bivuac |
| Русский | бива́к bivák, бивуа́к bivuák, ла́герь lágerʹ |
verb to set up camp
| Português | bivacar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | biwakieren |
| Italiano | bivaccare, accamparsi, attendarsi, campeggiare |
Talk about this word "bivouac." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bivouac. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bivouac. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bivouac "bivouac." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bivouac.Cite this
@misc{bivouac_2026,
title = {bivouac},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bivouac},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
