gabion

English

/ˈɡeɪ.bɪən/

noun
Definitions
  • (historical) A cylindrical basket or cage of wicker which was filled with earth or stones and used in fortifications and other engineering work (a precursor to the sandbag).
  • A woven wire mesh unit, sometimes rectangular, made from a continuous mesh panel and filled with stones sometimes coated with polyvinyl chloride.
  • (civil engineering) A porous metal cylinder filled with stones and used in a variety of civil engineering contexts, especially in the construction of retaining walls, the reinforcing of steep slopes, or in the prevention of erosion in river banks.
  • A knickknack, objet d'art, curiosity, collectable.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gabbione derived from Latin cavea (cage, coop, cavity, stall, enclosure, hollow).

Origin

Latin

cavea

Gloss

cage, coop, cavity, stall, enclosure, hollow

Concept
Semantic Field

Animals

Ontological Category

Person/Thing

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms