fort

¹ American  

[fawrt, fohrt] / fɔrt, foʊrt /

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.

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idioms

1. hold the fort,

   1. to defend one's position against attack or criticism.

   2. to maintain the existing state of affairs.

fort. ² American  

abbreviation

1. fortification.

2. fortified.

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fort British  

/ fɔːt /

noun

1. a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy

2. informal to maintain or guard something temporarily

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fort More Idioms  

1. see hold the fort.

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Etymology

Origin of fort

First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French, noun use of adjective fort “strong,” from Latin fortis “strong, tough, hardy”

Example Sentences

The Sri Lankan navy ferried the survivors to nearby Galle, famous for its 16th-century Dutch fort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

With six children between them, Johansson and Liikamaa are also able to take time with family while the other one holds the fort.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

“Nvidia is the power-hungry, dirty solution holding the fort until the competition comes in with a completely different approach,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

We made a little fort in the D&D basement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

The Germans made one final effort to capture the fort on July 11, reaching its walls before they were driven off.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman