bivouac

/ˈbɪv.u.æk/

//ˈbɪv.u.æk// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"bivouac" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bivouac” is uncommon English (frequency #69,687 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,687
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering.

Key facts for bivouac
PropertyValue
Headwordbivouac
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɪv.u.æk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#69,687
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bivouac” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). bivouac lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bivouac is uncommon English at frequency #69,687 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɪv.u.æk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

bivouac has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”). The correct English form is bivouac, spelled B-I-V-O-U-A-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering.
  2. 2
    Any temporary encampment.
  3. 3
    A temporary shelter constructed generally for a few nights.
  4. 4
    The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack.
  5. 5
    A structure formed by migratory ants out of their own bodies to protect the queen and larvae.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”).

This word in other languages

vivac(Español)bivouac(Français)Biwak(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bivouac"?
"bivouac" is spelled B-I-V-O-U-A-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɪv.u.æk/.
What does "bivouac" mean?
As a noun, "bivouac" means: An encampment for the night, usually without tents or covering.
How do you pronounce "bivouac"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bivouac" is /ˈbɪv.u.æk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "bivouac"?
Unadapted borrowing from French bivouac (earlier biouac, bivac), from Alemannic German Biiwacht (“reinforcements of guard or town watch”), from bii- + Wacht (“watch, guard”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “bivouac”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-I-V-O-U-A-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɪv.u.æk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list