fortress
pronunciation
How to pronounce fortress in British English:
UK [ˈfɔːtrəs]
How to pronounce fortress in American English:
US [ˈfɔːrtrəs]
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- Noun:
- a fortified defensive structure
Word Origin
- fortress
- fortress: see fort
- fortress (n.)
- early 14c., from Old French forteresse, forterece "strong place, fortification" (12c.), variant of fortelesse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis "strong" (see fort) + -itia, added to adjectives to form nouns of quality or condition. French -ess from Latin -itia also is in duress, largesse, riches. For change of medial -l- to -r- in Old French, compare orne "elm" from Latin ulmus; chartre from cartula; chapitre from capitulum.
Example
- 1. Europe might well be more of a fortress with britain outside .
- 2. Even during soviet times , vladivostok was more of a fortress than a gateway .
- 3. Mr kondo 's experience will resonate in other corners of kasumigaseki , japan 's whitehall in central tokyo that is the seat of the japanese bureaucracy and whose name literally describes how many japanese think of it-a fortress of fog .
- 4. Fortress israel has no visible cracks .
- 5. The fortress is only half open .