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| n. 1. A projecting part of a fortification. 2. A well-fortified position. 3. One that upholds or defends something, as against neglect or unpopularity: a college that is a bastion of traditionalism. See Synonyms at bulwark. [Early Modern English, from Middle French, from Old Italian bastione, augmentative of bastia, from northern Italian dialectal variant of bastita, fortress, from feminine of bastito, past participle of bastire, to construct, build, from Germanic *bastjan, to baste, tack; see BASTE1.] bastioned adj. |
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