fort

¹

[ fawrt, fohrt ]

noun

1. a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.
2. any permanent army post.
3. (formerly) a trading post.

fort.

²

abbreviation for

1. fortification.
2. fortified.

fort

/ fɔːt /

noun

1. a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy
2. hold the fort informal.
   to maintain or guard something temporarily

Word History and Origins

Origin of fort¹

First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French, noun use of adjective fort “strong,” from Latin fortis “strong, tough, hardy”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fort¹

C15: from Old French, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hold the fort,
   1. to defend one's position against attack or criticism.
   2. to maintain the existing state of affairs.

More idioms and phrases containing fort

see hold the fort .

Example Sentences

In the past few weeks, brush fires have blazed not just in Prospect Park but in parks across all five NYC boroughs, including in Van Cortlandt, Fort Tryon, Flushing Meadows Corona, Clove Lakes, and Gerritsen Beach.

From Slate

Spirit Airlines Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale in Florida was diverted to the neighbouring Dominican Republic where it landed safely at Santiago Airport.

From BBC

An attorney from Fort Washington, Md., he said his freshman year coincided with Harris’ last one there.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1955, there was an outbreak at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when I was in the second grade.

From Salon

The mayor of Chiva, Amparo Fort, warned on Thursday that nearby there were still “hundreds of cars turned upside down and they will surely have people inside them”.

From BBC