Presidio
name, noun
name, noun ·4 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A garrisoned place, especially one that is or was once under Spanish control.
"While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San Francisco, seeking a site for the presidio, the American colonists on the eastern seaboard, three thousand miles away, were celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence."
- 2 a fortress established in the southwestern United States by the Spanish in order to protect their missions and other holdings wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Presidio County, Texas, United States, on the border with Mexico.
Example
More examples"While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San Francisco, seeking a site for the presidio, the American colonists on the eastern seaboard, three thousand miles away, were celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence."
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Spanish presidio (“garrison”), from Latin praesidium, 1763. Doublet of praesidium and presidium.
Etymology 2
Shortened from Presidio del Norte, the name given in 1830. Known as La Junta de los Ríos prior to that.