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barricada

barricade

noun bah-rree-KAH-dah Rare

Origin: From French barricade, from barrique (barrel) — barrels were the original material used to build street barriers.

Usage Note

Barricada entered Spanish from French during the revolutionary era. It refers to a makeshift barrier thrown up to block a street or position, and is used both literally (in protest or conflict contexts) and figuratively (levantar barricadas, to put up barriers). The initial barr- is a rolled-r cluster.

Examples

"Los manifestantes levantaron una barricada."

Natural Translation

The protesters put up a barricade.

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