Redoubt
/rɪˈdaʊt/noun
A small, usually temporary fortification or a protected position held against attack.
Did you know?The word came into English through French military use, and its ancestor ultimately traces back to Latin dubitare, “to doubt,” showing how a word for uncertainty became the name of a defensive stronghold.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
redoubt
“a fortified defensive position”
17th Century
French
redoute
“a small fort or outwork”
Late Latin
Latin
redubitare
“to doubt again, hesitate repeatedly”
Latin
Latin
dubitare
“to waver, hesitate, be uncertain”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwo-
“two, double”
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