fort

[ fawrt, fohrt ]
See synonyms for fort on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. (formerly) a trading post.

Idioms about fort

  1. hold the fort,

    • to defend one's position against attack or criticism.

    • to maintain the existing state of affairs.

Origin of fort

1
First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French, noun use of adjective fort “strong,” from Latin fortis “strong, tough, hardy”

Words that may be confused with fort

Words Nearby fort

Other definitions for fort. (2 of 2)

fort.

abbreviation
  1. fortification.

  2. fortified.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fort in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fort

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

Origin of fort

1
C15: from Old French, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with fort

fort

see hold the fort.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.