Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A fortified place, especially a large, permanent military stronghold that often includes a town.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To furnish with a fortress; defend by or as by a fortress; guard; fortify.
  • noun A fortified town or position; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; hence, any place of defense or security.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify.
  • noun A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
  • verb To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a fortified defensive structure

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English forteress, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis, strong; see bhergh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French forteresce, from Medieval Latin

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Examples

  • By far the most remarkable sight in the fortress is the late works performed by that little enterprizing adventurous animal calld Man.

    Letter 290 2009

  • “Yes, the Forerunners built this place, what they called a fortress world, in order to —”

    The Flood Dietz, William 2003

  • This fortress is as ancient as the town, said to have been built about the middle of the twelfth century, and is situated on an elevation at the foot of which flows the Moskva, but there is nothing remarkable in the style excepting its antiquity.

    Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun 1903

  • At last Linton, leaving Bowse in charge of what he called the fortress, proceeded with Raby and Mitchell, carrying the remainder of the water to aid those who either could not or would not move.

    The Pirate of the Mediterranean A Tale of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    Stromata Blog: 2009

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    Britain 2010

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    Sarah Palin Can Thank AP for a Sale 2009

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    Lessons from Massachusett(e)s 2010

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    The Coming Torricelli Maneuver in Illinois 2010

  • This combined novel and treatise traces the history of an imaginary French fortress from the 4th Century B.C. through the Napoleonic Wars, featuring detailed accounts of seven sieges.

    Anti-Stratfordianism on the Screen 2010

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