bivouac
/ˈbɪvuæk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪvuæk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbi-və-ˌwak ˈbiv-ˌwak/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbɪv.u.æk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪv.u.æk/ (ame, ipa)
bivouac — noun
- bivouacsingular
- bivouacsplural
1. A rough sleeping place made in the open air, without a tent — the sort of camp t
A rough sleeping place made in the open air, without a tent — the sort of camp that soldiers or climbers put together for a night.
Keiko made a bivouac on a narrow rock ledge as the sun went down.
collocation: make a bivouac
The soldiers threw together a quick bivouac behind the ridge before midnight.
collocation: quick bivouac
Diego crawled into his bivouac under the pines and fell asleep at once.
A bivouac on an exposed ridge can turn deadly if the weather changes fast.
There was just enough flat ground for a bivouac between the boulders and the stream.
- camp
Much broader and more common; a camp often includes tents and facilities.
- encampment
More formal and suggests a larger, organised group of people, often military.
- shelter
Broader term; any structure or place that gives protection from the weather.
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/2 (LIGHTWEIGHT TENT): a noun/1 bivouac uses no tent at all — it is a rough, open-air camp. Common in mountaineering and military writing.
常見錯誤
2. A compact, lightweight tent designed for just one or two sleepers, barely bigger
A compact, lightweight tent designed for just one or two sleepers, barely bigger than the bodies inside it.
Amir unpacked his bivouac — barely bigger than a sleeping bag — and laid it flat.
unpack + bivouac collocation
A good bivouac sets up in under two minutes and keeps the rain off completely.
active: bivouac as subject — sets up
Priyanka's bivouac was so light she forgot it was in her pack most of the day.
Zipped into a bivouac under the stars, Hendrik felt the cold air on his face.
The bivouac dome was just wide enough for one person to turn over inside.
- tent
A general term covering all sizes; a bivouac is a specific ultralight kind.
- sleeping-bag cover
Even more minimal; some bivouacs are little more than waterproof shells.
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/1 (ROUGH CAMP): a noun/2 bivouac IS a tent — an exceptionally small and light one. This is the sense used in outdoor-gear shops.
常見錯誤
bivouac — verb
- bivouacpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bivouacs3rd person singular
- bivouacking-ing form
- bivouackedpast simple
1. To spend the night camping outdoors without a tent, either in a rough shelter or
To spend the night camping outdoors without a tent, either in a rough shelter or under the open sky.
Zainab and her friends bivouacked on a grassy ledge halfway up the mountain.
bivouac + on + location
The climbers bivouacked in a howling storm when the descent became too risky.
bivouac + in + conditions
Kwame decided to bivouac beside the river rather than push on in the dark.
Bivouacking above the tree line means carrying all your water up with you.
Oluwaseun's team bivouacked in an old stone shelter where shepherds once slept.
- camp
Far more common and broader; covers any kind of outdoor sleeping, with or without a tent.
- sleep rough
More informal and often implies homelessness rather than adventure or sport.
- bed down
Informal; often used for animals, or for people settling in for the night anywhere.
用法筆記
Always intransitive — you cannot bivouac someone else. Subject is typically a person or group. The verb is common in outdoor and mountaineering writing.