A small military base or settlement in a remote area, far from the main center; any isolated or remote location.
Compound of 'out' (Old English 'ut') and 'post' (from Latin 'postis,' a stake or pole). The military meaning emerged in the 1600s during colonial expansion.
The word 'outpost' perfectly captures the military strategy of empire—soldiers would literally post themselves 'out' in frontier areas, and these lonely defensive positions gave birth to frontier towns, trading posts, and the entire opening of the American West.
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