noun
- Plural of bawn; fortified enclosures or defensive walls, especially those built by English settlers in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Usage: historical; chiefly Irish history
Examples
- The English colonists constructed bawns around their settlements to protect against raids.
- Archaeological surveys have identified the remains of several bawns in County Cork.
- These defensive bawns were typically built with stone or wooden palisades.
- The bawns served as both residences and military strongholds for plantation owners.