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fastness

 [fast-nis, fahst-]   Origin

fast·ness

   [fast-nis, fahst-]
noun
1.
a secure or fortified place; stronghold: a mountain fastness.
2.
the state of being fixed or firm: the fastness of democratic institutions.
3.
the state of being rapid.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English fæstnes. See fast1, -ness
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Fastness is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
fastness (ˈfɑːstnɪs)
 
—n
1.  a stronghold; fortress
2.  the state or quality of being firm or secure
3.  the ability of a dye to remain permanent and not run or fade
4.  archaic swiftness
 
[Old English fæstnes; see fast1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

fastness
"a place not easily forced, a stronghold," late O.E., from fast (adj.) in its older sense of "firm, fixed in place" + -ness.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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