Pronounced: kwahm (alt: kwahm), noun
Notes: I added this word because it had a meaning of which I was unaware
Yesterday’s word
The word propugnaculum is “a fortress; defense; protection”
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid 1700s
Background / Comments
A pretty fancy word for a fortress. It came from the Latin word propugnaculum (bulwark), which came from propugnare (to fight in defense of something), which is made up of pro- (toward) and pugnare (to fight); this latter word came from pugnus (fist).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 