Boulevard

boo'le-vard, a broad street or drive, presumably lined with trees. The term is French, corresponding to the English bulwark, a defensive wall or rampart. As the need and indeed the utility of walls passed away, the medieval cities of Europe leveled their defenses into fine driveways encircling the historical centers. These new streets retained the old name of boulevard, formerly applied to the wall. These boulevards are a delightful parklike feature of European cities and indicate, even to a stranger, the position of the old fortifications and ditches. Bologna, Nuremberg, Constance, and Chester are among the few old cities that retain the traditional walls. By degrees the term boulevard has been extended to any broad street, especially one bordered or adorned with grass plots and ornamental shade trees and shrubbery.