Maginot Line
Preserved but no longer current.
A zone of fortifica- tions, mostly of concrete, with impregnable gun-positions, shelters, etc., built along the eastern frontier of France between 1929 and 1934, and named after Andre Maginot (1877- 1932), Minister of War, who was responsible for their construction. The line extended from the Swiss border to that of Belgium, and for long it deluded the French into the belief that it would make a German invasion impossible.
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 “Maginot Line” mean?
A zone of fortifica- tions, mostly of concrete, with impregnable gun-positions, shelters, etc., built along the eastern frontier of France between 1929 and 1934, and named after Andre Maginot (1877- 1932), Minister of War, who was responsible for their construction. The line extended from the Swiss border to that of Belgium, and for long it deluded the French into the belief that it would make a German invasion impossible.
Is “Maginot Line” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.