Definition of "blockhouse" [block•house]

• A military fortification constructed of sturdy material, such as concrete, and designed with ports for defensive firing or observation. (noun)
• A heavily reinforced building used for launch operations of missiles and space launch vehicles. (noun)
• A fort made of squared timbers with a projecting upper story. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This fort was of the kind called a blockhouse, which is a house built of logs made to fit close together."
• "Set in the wall opposite the blockhouse was a tall, arch-shaped doorway and a pair of solid wooden doors."
• "    The throne room of the blockhouse was a rough, frontier affair,"