1530s, "fortification, action of fortifying or defending" (a sense now obsolete),  also "materials used in war," from French municion "fortification, defense, defensive wall" (14c.), from Latin munitionem (nominative munitio) "a defending, fortification, protecting," noun of action from past-participle stem of munire "to fortify," from moenia "defensive walls," related to murus "wall" (see mural). Female workers in British shell factories in World War I were called munitionettes.

1660s, "part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice," from Italian dado "die, cube," from Latin datum (see die (n.)). Meaning "wood paneling on the lower part of a wall in a room" is by 1787.

late 14c., "a barrier, a fence," from Old French closure "enclosure; that which encloses, fastening, hedge, wall, fence," also closture "barrier, division; enclosure, hedge, fence, wall" (12c., Modern French clôture), from Late Latin clausura "lock, fortress, a closing" (source of Italian chiusura), from past participle stem of Latin claudere "to close" (see close (v.)).

Sense of "act of closing, a bringing to a close" is from early 15c. In legislation, especially "closing or stopping of debate" (compare cloture). Sense of "tendency to create ordered and satisfying wholes" is 1924, from Gestalt psychology.

"rear wall of a trench," 1917, earlier "elevation behind a fortified place" to protect it from attack in the rear (1853), literally "defense from the back," from French parados, from para- "defense" (see para- (2)) + dos "back" (see dossier).

"a breastwork, retaining wall," 1779, from French revêtement, Old French revestiment, from revestir (Modern French revêtir), from Late Latin revestire "to clothe again," from re- "again, back" (see re-) + Latin vestire "to clothe" (from PIE root *eu- "to dress").