fortis

American  

[fawr-tis] / ˈfɔr tɪs /

adjective

1. pronounced with considerable muscular tension and breath pressure, resulting in a strong fricative or explosive sound. In stressed position (p, t, k, ch, f, th, s, sh) and sometimes (h) are fortis in English as compared with (b, d, g, j, v, th̸, z, and zh), which are lenis.

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noun

• fortes
  plural

1. a fortis consonant.

fortis British  

/ ˈfɔːtɪs /

adjective

1. (of a consonant) articulated with considerable muscular tension of the speech organs or with a great deal of breath pressure or plosion

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noun

1. a consonant, such as English p or f , pronounced with considerable muscular force or breath pressure

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fortes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fortis

1905–10; < Latin: strong, powerful, firm

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fortis fortes

Instead they found four other known species: V. alginolyticus, V. campbellii, V. fortis and V. parahaemolyticus.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 6, 2023

Derived from the Latin fortis, meaning "strong," it was the watchword of an extraordinary week.

From Time Magazine Archive

What is the antidote for aqua fortis and oil of vitriol?

From A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition) by Calvin Cutter

At the opening of the season Goodyear received a letter from a house in Paris, making him a handsome offer for the use of his process of curing india-rubber with aqua fortis.

From Inventors by Philip Gengembre Hubert

Wood may also be stained yellow with aqua fortis, used warm, and then immediately placed near the fire.

From Intarsia and Marquetry by F. Hamilton (Frederick Hamilton) Jackson

The Seahawks are particularly vulnerable because one of Carroll’s fortes is whipping his team into a frenzy.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2021

The versatile Kelly’s fortes were tap and jazz dancing, and of course he was a swell partner with Caron in his arms.

From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2017

One of Brown’s fortes was damming streams or small rivers to create meandering lakes and ponds that read as great rivers where none flowed.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 16, 2016

Mr. Woollard believes lighting was one of Mr. Walter’s fortes and would particularly suit a buyer with an art collection to display.

From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2016

Sir Thomas Bodley never would have condemned students to study in the Bodleian had he known the peines fortes et dures to which in these days they are thereby doomed.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 14 by Sir Richard Francis Burton

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