gabion

Meaning

1. (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).
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

Translations

gabion

gabbione

Schanzkorb

gavión

Kunstobjekt

Gabione

κοφίνωση

كيس حجارة

ronde

schanskorf

gabião

obra de arte

μικρός κυψελοειδής εγκιβωτισμός

gabió

Kunstgegenstand

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡeɪ.bi.ən/

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gabbione, augmentative of gabbia (“cage”), itself from Latin cavea (whence also English jail, English cajole), from Latin cavus (whence also English cage, English cave).