gabion

Meaning

1. 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).
2. A woven wire mesh unit, sometimes rectangular, made from a continuous mesh panel and filled with stones sometimes coated with polyvinyl chloride.
3. 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.
4. A knickknack, objet d'art, curiosity, collectable.

Synonyms

pannier

sandbag

rock crib

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡeɪ.bi.ən/

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gabbione, augmentative of gabbia (“cage”), itself from Latin cavea.