Atlantic Wall
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The name given by the Germans in World War II to their defences built up around the west coast of France to resist the expected Allied landings.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Atlantic Wall” mean?
The name given by the Germans in World War II to their defences built up around the west coast of France to resist the expected Allied landings.
Is “Atlantic Wall” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.