fortis

[ fawr-tis ]

adjective
  1. pronounced with considerable muscular tension and breath pressure, resulting in a strong fricative or explosive sound. In stressed position (p, t, k, ch, f, th, s, sh) and sometimes (h) are fortis in English as compared with (b, d, g, j, v, th̸, z, and zh), which are lenis.: Compare lenis.

noun,plural for·tes [fawr-teez]. /ˈfɔr tiz/.
  1. a fortis consonant.

Origin of fortis

1
1905–10; <Latin: strong, powerful, firm

Words Nearby fortis

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

How to use fortis in a sentence

  • If a little aqua-fortis be mixed with the water, the writing will dry well, and not run out of its form when the paper is wetted.

  • Boil some nut-galls in aqua fortis, and add to the infusion some gum Arabic and a little sulphuric acid.

  • Dissolve fine silver in aqua fortis; and after the dissolution, add some distilled water in the same manner as in the gold ink.

  • Dissolve an ounce of fine silver in three ounces of strong aqua fortis, in a glass bottle.

  • Dissolve chalk in aqua fortis, to the consistence of milk, and add to that a strong solution of silver.

British Dictionary definitions for fortis

fortis

/ (ˈfɔːtɪs) phonetics /


adjective
  1. (of a consonant) articulated with considerable muscular tension of the speech organs or with a great deal of breath pressure or plosion

nounplural -tes (-tiːz)
  1. a consonant, such as English p or f, pronounced with considerable muscular force or breath pressure

Origin of fortis

1
Latin: strong

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