bivouac
BIV-oo-ak
/ˈbɪvuˌæk/
A temporary campsite or improvised shelter, especially one without tents or cover, used by soldiers, climbers, or hikers.
Implies a hasty, minimalist, or emergency camp made with minimal gear, often under the open sky.
The story behind the word. The word travels from the 18th-century Swiss-German 'beiwacht', which literally meant an 'additional watch' or 'by-guard.' It referred to an auxiliary night patrol of citizens who stayed outside without proper shelter. French soldiers borrowed the term as 'bivouac' during the Napoleonic Wars to describe sleeping in the open field without tents, which eventually entered English.
Word relationships
- encampment: An encampment is a more structured, semi-permanent camp, whereas a bivouac is highly temporary and often improvised.
- campsite: A campsite is a designated area for camping, often with amenities, while a bivouac can be set up anywhere out of necessity.
- permanent shelter: A permanent shelter, like a cabin or lodge, offers lasting protection and structural stability.
Commonly confused with
- bivvy: 'Bivvy' is a common, informal British slang abbreviation for a bivouac or a bivouac sack.
Word family
- bivouacked (verb): Having made a temporary, open-air shelter.
- bivouacking (verb): The act of establishing a temporary open-air shelter.
Collocations
- emergency bivouac
- bivouac sack
- make a bivouac
- forced to bivouac
Example sentences
- "With the storm closing in and daylight fading fast, the climbers had to bivouac on a narrow, icy ledge." A mountain climbing memoir
- "The soldiers made a hasty bivouac in the forest, sleeping on their cloaks to avoid detection by the enemy." A historical military account
Memory hook
Imagine a soldier shivering in the cold, saying, 'It is a biv-cold ouac-night without a tent!' An emergency camp under the stars when you have 'by-passed' the luxury of a tent.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a comfortable camping trip with large family tents, air mattresses, and a campfire.
Fun facts
- Modern climbers often carry a 'bivy sack'—a waterproof, ultra-lightweight sleeping bag cover that weighs only a few ounces but can save a life during an emergency bivouac.
Related words
Explore more words
encampment, unsheltered, improvise, sojourn, skirmish, subsist
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