fortress

American  

[fawr-tris] / ˈfɔr trɪs /

noun

1. a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel.

2. any place of exceptional security; stronghold.

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fortress British  

/ ˈfɔːtrɪs /

noun

1. a large fort or fortified town

2. a place or source of refuge or support

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verb

1. (tr) to protect with or as if with a fortress

Etymology

Origin of fortress

1300–50; Middle English forteresse < Old French < Vulgar Latin *fortaricia (compare Medieval Latin fortalitia ), equivalent to Latin fort ( is ) strong + -ar-, formative of uncertain meaning +- icia -ice

Example Sentences

"Elland Road is a fortress. If we deliver performances like this we have a good chance to stay up."

From Barron's

Two medieval fortresses face each other across the Narva River, separating Estonia from Russia on Europe's eastern edge.

From Barron's

Two medieval fortresses face each other across the Narva River separating Estonia from Russia on Europe's eastern edge.

From Barron's

In a statement accompanying results, Chairman Michael Saylor signaled that same conviction, saying that the company had built a “digital fortress” of 713,502 bitcoins that aligns “with our indefinite bitcoin horizon.”

From MarketWatch

Alcatraz island - nicknamed "the Rock" because it was regarded as an impregnable fortress - is home to the shuttered federal penitentiary that housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the US.

From BBC

Related Words

• barrier
• citadel
• garrison
• rampart