DEFINITIONS

fort

[ fawrt, fohrt ]
/ fɔrt, foʊrt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR fort ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.
any permanent army post.
(formerly) a trading post.

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Words related to fort

hover, linger, stop, live, continue, endure, stand, persist, last, prevail, survive, wait, reside, settle, hang, delay, remain, firm, obstinate, reserved

Words nearby fort

forstner bit, forswear, forsworn, forsyth, forsythia, fort, fort belvoir, fort benjamin harrison, fort benning, fort bliss, fort boise

Idioms for fort

    hold the fort,
    1. to defend one's position against attack or criticism.
    2. to maintain the existing state of affairs.

Origin of fort

1550–60; < Middle French, noun use of adj. fort strong < Latin fortis

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fort

fort forte (see pronunciation note at forte1)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for hold the fort

fort
/ (fɔːt) /

noun

a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy
hold the fort informal to maintain or guard something temporarily

Word Origin for fort

C15: from Old French, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with hold the fort (1 of 2)

hold the fort

Assume responsibility, especially in another's absence; also, maintain a secure position. For example, Harry did a good job of holding the fort until his boss recovered, or Can you hold the fort in the kitchen? This expression has been traced to an order given by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864, which was repeated as “Hold the fort [against the enemy at Allatoona] at all costs, for I am coming.”

Idioms and Phrases with hold the fort (2 of 2)

fort

see hold the fort.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.