"circle the wagons" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From the practice of drawing the wagons of a wagon-train into a circle to protect against attack, and also to keep cattle and other livestock within.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "circles the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circling the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circled the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circled the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "circle the wagons"
      },
      "expansion": "circle the wagons (third-person singular simple present circles the wagons, present participle circling the wagons, simple past and past participle circled the wagons)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack."
      ],
      "id": "en-circle_the_wagons-en-verb-3du6rWaO",
      "links": [
        [
          "wagon train",
          "wagon train"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "word": "close ranks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "word": "laager"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "word": "circle one's wagons"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism."
      ],
      "id": "en-circle_the_wagons-en-verb-jUVAkbi7",
      "links": [
        [
          "criticism",
          "criticism"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-circle the wagons.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/be/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "circle the wagons"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the practice of drawing the wagons of a wagon-train into a circle to protect against attack, and also to keep cattle and other livestock within.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "circles the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circling the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circled the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "circled the wagons",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "circle the wagons"
      },
      "expansion": "circle the wagons (third-person singular simple present circles the wagons, present participle circling the wagons, simple past and past participle circled the wagons)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "close ranks"
    },
    {
      "word": "laager"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wagon train",
          "wagon train"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "criticism",
          "criticism"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-circle the wagons.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/be/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/En-au-circle_the_wagons.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "circle one's wagons"
    }
  ],
  "word": "circle the wagons"
}