hold the fort

fort

[fawrt, fohrt]
noun
1.
a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.
2.
any permanent army post.
3.
(formerly) a trading post.
Idioms
4.
hold the fort,
a.
to defend one's position against attack or criticism.
b.
to maintain the existing state of affairs.
Origin:
1550–60; < Middle French, noun use of adj. fort strong < Latin fortis

Can be confused: fort, forte (see pronunciation note at forte).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Hold the fort is always a great word to know.
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an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
fort (fɔːt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy
2.  informal hold the fort to maintain or guard something temporarily
 
[C15: from Old French, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis]

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

fort
1557, from M.Fr. fort, noun use of O.Fr. fort (adj.) "strong, fortified," from L. fortis "strong," from O.Latin forctus, from PIE base *bheregh- "high, elevated" (cf. Skt. brmhati "strengthens, elevates," O.H.G. berg "hill").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

hold the fort definition


  1. tv.
    to remain behind and take care of things. : I left John there to hold the fort.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

hold the fort

Assume responsibility, especially in another's absence; also, maintain a secure position. For example, Harry did a good job of holding the fort until his boss recovered, or Can you hold the fort in the kitchen? This expression has been traced to an order given by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864, which was repeated as "Hold the fort [against the enemy at Allatoona] at all costs, for I am coming."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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