fortress en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈfɔ(ː)ɹ.tɹəs/ without the horse–hoarse merger, rhotic
- (US) audio
- /ˈfoɹ.tɹɪs/ (General-American)
- /ˈfoɹ.tɹəs/ (General-American)
- /ˈfɔː.tɹəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Early 14 c., from Old French forteresce, forteresse, forterece (“strong place, fortification”), variant of fortelesse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis (“strong”) (see fort) + -itia, added to adjectives to form nouns of quality or condition. French -ess, from Latin -itia is also in words such as duress, prowess, largesse and richesse. For change of medial -l- to -r- in Old French, compare orne (“elm”) from ulmus; chartre from cartula and chapitre from capitulum. First attested in the 12th century.
Meanings
-
A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; for example a fort, a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
Like the Mesolithic age of 10,000-8000 B.C., the period 6000-4000 B.C. seems to be one of the fall of fortresses and the rise of pastoral nomadism.
1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 160:
- A position that, if obtained by the weaker side, will prevent penetration by the opposing side, generally achieving a draw.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| fortresses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
superfortress · cyberfortress · fortresslike
Relateds
Synonyms
bastion · bulwark · stronghold · citadel
Translations (156)
sa पुरा (fortified place) · be цвердзь (fortified place) · es fortaleza (fortified place) · ary قلعة (fortified place) · az qala (fortified place) · it fortezza (fortified place) · ro cetate (fortified place) · be фартэ́ца (fortified place) · ru крепость (chess technique) · izh kreeposti (fortified place) · da fæstning (fortified place) · kmr birc (fortified place) · ru кре́пость (fortified place) · ckb قەڵا (fortified place) · vi pháo đài (fortified place) · tr hisar (fortified place) · sh ȕtvrda (fortified place) · dsb grod (fortified place) · uk крі́пость (fortified place) · kk бекініс (fortified place) · hy ամրոց (fortified place) · la castellum (fortified place) · sk tvrdza (fortified place) · ga dún (fortified place) · ota حصار (fortified place) · ta கோட்டை (fortified place) · fa-ira قَلْعِه (fortified place) · my ခံတပ် (fortified place) · be фартэ́цыя (fortified place) · shi ⵜⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔⵜ (fortified place) · za yausai (fortified place) · hu vár (fortified place) · fr forteresse (fortified place) · tr kale (fortified place) · nci yāōcalli (fortified place) · fi linnoitus (fortified place) · ka ციხესიმაგრე (fortified place) · prs قَلْعَه (fortified place) · hi दुर्ग (fortified place) · ota قلعه (fortified place) · ja 要塞 (fortified place) · lo ປ້ອມ (fortified place) · ro fortăreață (fortified place) · mrw ilian (fortified place) · rup tsitati (fortified place) · bn দুর্গ (fortified place) · kaa qorg'an (fortified place) · cmn 要塞 (fortified place) · bn কেল্লা (fortified place) · ms benteng (fortified place) · ar حِصْن (fortified place) · ota حصن (fortified place) · sh твр̀ђава (fortified place) · ko 요새 (fortified place) · he מְצוּדָה (fortified place) · gl fortaleza (fortified place) · ja 城塞 (fortified place) · ms kubu (fortified place) · sh tvr̀đava (fortified place) · prs دِژ (fortified place) · sq kala (fortified place) · kmr kelhe (fortified place) · oc fortalesa (fortified place) · sl utrdba (fortified place) · ko 성새 (fortified place) · hu erődítmény (fortified place) · el φρούριο (fortified place) · tk gala (fortified place) · he מִבְצָר (fortified place) · cmn 城堡 (fortified place) · ps قلعه (fortified place) · la castrum (fortified place) · yi פֿעסטונג (fortified place) · uk форте́ця (fortified place) · be крэ́пасць (fortified place) · ota كرمان (fortified place) · dz རྫོང (fortified place) · it rocca (fortified place) · la arx (fortified place) · pl forteca (fortified place) · sco fortress (fortified place) · ota قسطل (fortified place) · grc φρούριον (fortified place) · pot waka'agën (fortified place) · sk pevnosť (fortified place) · tt кальга (fortified place) · ky коргон (fortified place) · grc ὀχύρωμα (fortified place) · bg кре́пост (fortified place) · hi गढ़ी (fortified place) · myv кемечикудо (fortified place) · hy բերդ (fortified place) · hi क़िला (fortified place) · ang fæsten (fortified place) · nl fort (fortified place) · ur قِلْعَہ (fortified place) · uz qalʻa (fortified place) · pl warownia (fortified place) · fa-ira دِژ (fortified place) · mk кре́пост (fortified place) · sh тврђа (fortified place) · sh tvȑđa (fortified place) · cmn 堡壘 /堡垒 (fortified place) · gl forte (fortified place) · mk ка́ле (fortified place) · km បន្ទាយ (fortified place) · th ป้อม (fortified place) · tg қалъа (fortified place) · mn цайз (fortified place) · nrf fortéresse (fortified place) · et kindlus (fortified place) · qu pukara (fortified place) · eu gotorleku (fortified place) · is virki (fortified place) · sa दुर्ग (fortified place) · mk твр́дина (fortified place) · mn хэрэм (fortified place) · ain チャシ (fortified place) · de Festung (fortified place) · rup grãditã (fortified place) · nn festning (fortified place) · ar قَلْعَة (fortified place) · cy caer (fortified place) · ca fortalesa (fortified place) · ur قَلْعَہ (fortified place) · cs pevnost (fortified place) · lo ບຸລະ (fortified place) · de Festung (chess technique) · gd dùn (fortified place) · eo fortreso (fortified place) · he מִשְׂגָּב (fortified place) · sv fästning (fortified place) · kk қамал (fortified place) · my ခံမြို့ (fortified place) · th ปราการ (fortified place) · lt tvirtovė (fortified place) · hu erőd (fortified place) · io fortreso (fortified place) · sq fortesë (fortified place) · ug قەلئە (fortified place) · nb festning (fortified place) · lv cietoksnis (fortified place) · xal шивә (fortified place) · bn কোট (fortified place) · nl vesting (fortified place) · ky сепил (fortified place) · got 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐍃 (fortified place) · uk тверди́ня (fortified place) · alt коргон (fortified place) · eo fortiko (fortified place) · tg диж (fortified place) · sh у̏тврда (fortified place) · pt fortaleza (fortified place) · pl twierdza (fortified place) · sn svingo (fortified place) · sa पुरी (fortified place)