bastille

fortress

noun bas-TEE Rare

Usage Note

Bastille (with a lower-case b) denotes any small fortress or stronghold in older French usage. Capitalised, la Bastille refers to the Paris prison-fortress stormed on 14 July 1789, an event commemorated annually on le 14 juillet (Bastille Day). The Place de la Bastille in Paris marks the site.

Examples

"La Bastille fut prise par le peuple en 1789."

Natural Translation

The Bastille was stormed by the people in 1789.

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