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bivouac

American  
[biv-oo-ak, biv-wak] / ˈbɪv uˌæk, ˈbɪv wæk /

noun

  1. a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire.

  2. the place used for such an encampment.

verb (used without object)

bivouacked, bivouacking

  1. to rest or assemble in such an area; encamp.

bivouac British  
/ ˈbɪvwæk, ˈbɪvʊˌæk /

noun

  1. a temporary encampment with few facilities, as used by soldiers, mountaineers, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr) to make such an encampment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bivouac

1700–10; < French < Swiss German bīwacht auxiliary patrol, equivalent to bī- by- + wacht patrol, watch

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kovacs said lifting Dickey will likely take several days, and that several bivouac points are being prepared along the way so that he and rescue teams can rest.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

The bivouac fell into a ravine, but no one happened to be in the building at the time.

From Scientific American • Apr. 3, 2023

"Many, we understand, are provided with or are providing themselves with tents and intend to bivouac in the fields."

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022

After getting orders to establish a bivouac site near Airfield 1, Willhite said he then knew the command had come down to settle in for the long haul.

From Washington Times • Mar. 8, 2020

Five minutes after waking up, I was climbing away from the bivouac.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.