The word for today is…

bivouac (noun, verb) –

noun

1 : a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter
2a : encampment usually for a night
b : a temporary or casual shelter or lodging

verb

1 : to make a bivouac
2 : to take shelter often temporarily

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : In his 1841 dictionary, Noah Webster observed bivouac to be a French borrowing having military origins. He defined the noun bivouac as “the guard or watch of a whole army, as in cases of great danger of surprise or attack” and the verb as “to watch or be on guard, as a whole army.” The French word is derived from the Low German word biwacht, which translates to “by guard.” Germans used the word specifically for a patrol of citizens who assisted the town watch at night. Today, bivouac has less to do with guarding and patrolling than it does with taking shelter.

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David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...