circumvallate

 
Pronunciation: /ˌsəːkəmˈvaleɪt/

verb

[with object] literary
  • surround with or as if with a rampart: the walls were circumvallated with a ditch

adjective

  • 1 literary surrounded or surrounding as if by a rampart: circumvallate mountains
  • 2 Anatomy denoting certain papillae near the back of the tongue, surrounded by taste receptors.

Origin:

mid 17th century (as an adjective): from Latin circumvallat- 'surrounded with a rampart', from the verb circumvallare, from circum 'around' + vallare, from vallum 'rampart'. The verb dates from the early 19th century