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forte - 8 dictionary results
forte
1
[fawrt, fohrt or, for 1, fawr-tey] 
–noun
| 1. | a strong point, as of a person; that in which one excels: I don't know what her forte is, but it's not music. |
| 2. | the stronger part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt (opposed to foible ). |
Synonyms:
1. talent, skill, excellence, strength, specialty; knack, bent.
1. talent, skill, excellence, strength, specialty; knack, bent.
Pronunciation note:
In the sense of a person's strong point (He draws well, but sculpture is his forte), the older and historical pronunciation of forte is the one-syllable [fawrt] or [fohrt]. The word is derived from the French word fort "strong." A two-syllable pronunciation [fawr-tey] is increasingly heard, especially from younger educated speakers, perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, pronounced in English as [fawr-tey] and in Italian as [fawr-te]. Both the one- and two-syllable pronunciations of forte are now considered standard.
In the sense of a person's strong point (He draws well, but sculpture is his forte), the older and historical pronunciation of forte is the one-syllable
[fawrt] or [fohrt]. The word is derived from the French word fort "strong." A two-syllable pronunciation [fawr-tey] is increasingly heard, especially from younger educated speakers, perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, pronounced in English as [fawr-tey] and in Italian as [fawr-te]. Both the one- and two-syllable pronunciations of forte are now considered standard.for⋅te
2 [fawr-tey; It. fawr-te] Music.–adjective
| 1. | (a direction) loud; with force (opposed to piano ). |
–adverb
| 2. | (a direction) loudly. |
–noun
| 3. | a passage that is loud and forcible, or is intended to be so. |
Origin:
1715–25; < It < L fortis strong
1715–25; < It < L fortis strong
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To forte
| for·te 1 (fôr'tā', fôrt, fōrt) n.
[French fort, from Old French, strong, from Latin fortis; see fort.] Synonyms: These nouns denote something at which a person is particularly skilled: Writing fiction is her forte. The theater is his métier. The professor's specialty was the study of ancient languages. Mountain climbing is really my thing. Usage Note: The word forte, coming from French fort, should properly be pronounced with one syllable, like the English word fort. Common usage, however, prefers the two-syllable pronunciation, (fôr'tā'), which has been influenced possibly by the music term forte borrowed from Italian. In a recent survey a strong majority of the Usage Panel, 74 percent, preferred the two-syllable pronunciation. The result is a delicate situation; speakers who are aware of the origin of the word may wish to continue to pronounce it as one syllable but at an increasing risk of puzzling their listeners. |
| for·te 2 (fôr'tā') adv. & adj. Abbr. f In a loud, forceful manner. Used chiefly as a direction. n. A note, passage, or chord played forte. [Italian, strong, forte, from Latin fortis; see bhergh-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Forte
Forte\ (f[=o]rt), n. [IT. forte: cf. F. fort. See Fort.]1. The strong point; that in which one excels. The construction of a fable seems by no means the forte of our modern poetical writers. --Jeffrey. 2. The stronger part of the blade of a sword; the part of half nearest the hilt; -- opposed to foible.Forte
For"te\ (f[^o]r"t[asl] or f[=o]r"t[asl]), adv. [It. forte, a. & adv., fr. L. fortis strong.] (Mus.) Loudly; strongly; powerfully.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : forte
Spanish:
en voz alta,
German:
laut,
Japanese:
声に出して
forte [(fawr-tay)]
A musical direction meaning “to be performed loudly”; the opposite of piano.
Note: The common keyboard instrument the pianoforte (“piano” for short) got its name because it could play both soft and loud notes.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
forte
1648, from Fr. fort "strong point (of a sword blade)," also "fort," from M.Fr. fort (see fort); final -e- added 18c. in imitation of It. forte "strong." Meaning "strong point of a person" is from 1682.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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