presidio

American  

[pri-sid-ee-oh, pre-see-thyaw] / prɪˈsɪd iˌoʊ, prɛˈsi ðyɔ /

noun

plural

presidios

1. a garrisoned fort; military post.

2. a Spanish penal settlement.

---

presidio British  

/ preˈsiðjo, prɪˈsɪdɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. a military post or establishment, esp in countries under Spanish control

---

Other Word Forms

• presidial adjective
• presidiary adjective

Etymology

Origin of presidio

1755–65, < Spanish < Latin praesidium guard, garrison, post, literally, defense, protection. See presidium

Explanation

A presidio is a Spanish military fort. Presidios in the western U.S. were built by Spanish colonizers to protect territory they had claimed. Many North American presidios were specifically built to protect Spanish missions, areas claimed by the king of Spain where missionaries constructed churches in order to convert native inhabitants to Christianity. These presidios, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, functioned as fortresses against raids by native people, rival colonists, and pirates. In Spanish, presidio means "fort or settlement," from a root meaning "to protect."

Example Sentences

Led by a military commander and the Franciscan missionary Fray Junipero Serra, a combined expedition of soldiers and friars reached San Diego in 1769 and built the first mission and fort, or presidio.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

The presidio had yielded to the glass office towers of downtown.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2012

Near the latter stream the presidio of Dolores was established.

From The Colonization of North America 1492-1783 by Bolton, Herbert Eugene

The presidio of Caldera was destroyed by the Moros.

From A History of the Philippines by Barrows, David P.

Between 1699 and 1703 three missions and a presidio had been established on the Rio Grande at San Juan Bautista, below modern Eagle Pass.

From The Colonization of North America 1492-1783 by Bolton, Herbert Eugene

Related Words

• barricade
• citadel
• fortress
• reinforcement