# shield wall

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A defensive formation, used from antiquity through the early Middle Ages, in which soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder with their shields overlapping, creating a continuous barrier against enemy attack.
2. A barrier.
3. An impenetrable barrier.

## Etymology
See Old English sċieldweall, with the same meaning.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shield-wall