for·tress
Audio Help [fawr-tris] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [fawr-tris] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel. |
| 2. | any place of exceptional security; stronghold. |
[Origin: 1300–50; ME forteresse < OF < VL *fortaricia (cf. ML fortalitia), equiv. to L fort(is) strong + -ar-, formative of uncertain meaning +-icia -ice
]
] | Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
fortress
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| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| for·tress
Audio Help (fôr'trĭs) Pronunciation Key
n. A fortified place, especially a large, permanent military stronghold that often includes a town. [Middle English forteress, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis, strong; see bhergh-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
fortress
c.1330, from O.Fr. forteresse "strong place," var. of fortelesse, from M.L. fortalitia, from L. fortis "strong" + Eng. -ess, a fairly uncommon suffix (duress, largess being other examples), from L. -itia, forming nouns of quality or condition.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| fortress | |
noun | |
| a fortified defensive structure |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
fortress [ˈfoːtris] noun
a (usually large) fort or fortified building
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Fortress
Cas"tle\, n. [AS. castel, fr. L. castellum, dim. of castrum a fortified place, castle.]1. A fortified residence, especially that of a prince or nobleman; a fortress. The house of every one is to him castle and fortress, as well for his defense againts injury and violence, as for his repose. --Coke. Our castle's strength Will laugh a siege to scorn. --Shak. Note: Originally the medi[ae]val castle was a single strong tower or keep, with a palisaded inclosure around it and inferior buidings, such as stables and the like, and surrounded by a moat; then such a keep or donjon, with courtyards or baileys and accessory buildings of greater elaboration a great hall and a chapel, all surrounded by defensive walls and a moat, with a drawbridge, etc. Afterwards the name was retained by large dwellings that had formerly been fortresses, or by those which replaced ancient fortresses. A Donjon or Keep, an irregular building containing the dwelling of the lord and his family; B C Large round towers ferming part of the donjon and of the exterior; D Square tower, separating the two inner courts and forming part of the donjon; E Chapel, whose apse forms a half-round tower, F, on the exterior walls; G H Round towers on the exterior walls; K Postern gate, reached from outside by a removable fight of steps or inclined plane for hoisting in stores, and leading to a court, L (see small digagram) whose pavement is on a level with the sill of the postern, but below the level of the larger court, with which it communicates by a separately fortified gateway; M Turret, containing spiral stairway to all the stories of the great tower, B, and serving also as a station for signal fire, banner, etc.; N Turret with stairway for tower, C; O Echauguettes; P P P Battlemants consisting of merlons and crenels alternately, the merlons being pierced by loopholes; Q Q Machicolations (those at Q defend the postern K); R Outwork defending the approach, which is a road ascending the hill and passing under all four faces of the castle; S S Wall of the outer bailey. The road of approach enters the bailey at T and passes thence into the castle by the main entrance gateway (which is in the wall between, and defended by the towers, C H) and over two drawbridges and through fortified passages to the inner court. 2. Any strong, imposing, and stately mansion. 3. A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back. 4. A piece, made to represent a castle, used in the game of chess; a rook. Castle in the air, a visionary project; a baseless scheme; an air castle; -- sometimes called a castle in Spain (F. Ch[^a]teau en Espagne). Syn: Fortress; fortification; citadel; stronghold. See Fortress.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Fortress
Cit"a*del\, n. [F. citadelle, It. citadella, di?. of citt? city, fr. L. civitas. See City.] A fortress in or near a fortified city, commanding the city and fortifications, and intended as a final point of defense. Syn. -- Stronghold. See Fortress.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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