The planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale that reduces the likelihood of seaswashing over the gunwales and people being washed overboard.
From Middle English bulwerk, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, bolwerc and Middle Low German bolwerk, equivalent to bole + work. Cognate with German Bollwerk, Danish bolværk, Swedish bålverk, Dutch bolwerk. boulevard (from French boulevard, from Dutch); cognate with Portuguese and Spanish baluarte and Italian baluardo.
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