zeribas

Noun

zeriba (plural zeribas)

1. (historical) A fence of the type once commonly improvised in northeastern Africa from thornbushes.
   • On the left shore two neat farmyards shew themselves in a shining seriba of reeds, the stalks of which are connected very regularly with each other, but perhaps only afford resistance to tame animals.1849, Ferdinand Werne, chapter 5, in Charles William O’Reilly, transl., Expedition to Discover the Sources of the White Nile, volume II, London: Richard Bentley, page 112
2. (broadly) An improvised stockade, particularly those similarly located and constructed.
   • The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) advanced this morning to Baker Pasha’s zariba.1884 March 11, The Times, page 5
3. (broadly) A camp of troops employing such an enclosure.
   • […] forming a zariba, or square, to resist cavalry.1887 April 9, The Times, page 5
4. (broadly) Any wild and barbed barrier, evocative of a briar or thorn patch.
   • Once you had passed the initial zareba of fruit stands, souvenir stands, ice-cream stands, and the lair of the enthusiast whose aim in life it was to sell you picture postal-cards, and had won through to the long walk where the seats were, you were practically alone with Nature.1910 May 28, P. G. Wodehouse, “Deep Waters”, in Collier’s, volume 45, page 18

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