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⇱ fort - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

fort

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfɔːrt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/fɔrt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(fôrt, fōrt)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
fort /fɔrt/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a location occupied by troops and surrounded by defensive works.
  2. Militaryany permanent army post.
Idioms
  1. Idioms hold the fort:
    • to defend one's position against attack or criticism:held the fort against the attacks of the enemy.
    • to maintain the existing state of affairs:Hold the fort until we get back from lunch.

See -fort-.
-fort-, root. 
    1. -fort- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "strong;
      strength.'' This meaning is found in such words as: comfort, discomfort, effort, fort, forte, fortify, fortitude, fortress, uncomfortable.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fort  (fôrt, fōrt),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works;
    a fortress;
    fortification.
  2. Militaryany permanent army post.
  3. (formerly) a trading post.
  4. Idioms hold the fort:
    • to defend one's position against attack or criticism.
    • to maintain the existing state of affairs.
  • Latin fortis
  • Middle French, noun, nominal use of adjective, adjectival fort strong
  • 1550–60

fort., 
    1. fortification.
    2. fortified.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fort /fɔːt/ n
  1. a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy
  2. hold the fort ⇒ informal to maintain or guard something temporarily
Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis
'fort' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Synonyms: garrison, more...
Collocations: stationed at a military fort, man a military fort, [take, destroy, invade] a military fort, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "fort" in the title:

And this being just outside of Fort Bragg, military veterans.
being encouraged in this, not so much by the capture of the fort, as by the Diet at Magione
beneath the area of fort Saint Elmo
Ducks and Fort Lauderdale
Fort Knox
"fort military"
Fort of Fortress
fort off
fort out of bracken
fort the number
fort, fortess (fortress)
fur-trading fort up
He is Said to Have/Had Built This Fort
He visited Hurst Castle. It was / is a fort in the time of Henry VIII.
Hold [down] the fort
If we can take out Fort Slava, it'll spell victory for Marley and end the war.
minding the fort
the Fort Ancient culture
The fort is due west of the town ... The parts department is due round the corner
Write a story. Make a fort. Plant a flower. <Make a fort>

Look up "fort" at Merriam-Webster
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