1 fort | Definition of fort

fort

noun
\ ˈfȯrt How to pronounce fort (audio) \

Definition of fort

1 : a strong or fortified place especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification
2 : a permanent army post often used in place names

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Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle. a series of forts along the frontier

Recent Examples on the Web

In recent years, hurricanes have unearthed an array of unexpected finds: among others, a dugout canoe believed to be more than 100 years old, the remains of a 19th-century historic fort and a World War II-era gun mount. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Hurricane Dorian Unearths Civil War Cannonballs at South Carolina Beach," 10 Sep. 2019 Even if a suggestive cluster of Maya community buildings and a fort popped up on a future lidar map, archaeologists would still have to bushwhack there to excavate them. Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, "In search of the ‘white Jaguar’: Archaeologists travel deep into the jungle to find a lost Maya city," 5 Sep. 2019 Boston Harbor Islands are open all weekend, take a ferry out for a beach day, or tour a historic fort. Tanya Edwards, BostonGlobe.com, "Last-minute Labor Day ideas for the whole family," 29 Aug. 2019 Archaeologists have uncovered more fascinating artifacts from a colonial-era fort in Michigan. Fox News, "Revolutionary War diary sheds light on Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to join the Continental Army," 5 July 2019 Overlooking this strategic point is a stone fort that pre-dates the founding of America. Gary Garth, USA TODAY, "Bass fishing with a fly rod? Try it – they're not just for trout anymore," 10 June 2019 After the fall of the western Roman Empire, Thamugadi enjoyed a brief resurgence as a Christian center, and a fort was built outside the city in 539. Rubén Montoya, National Geographic, "The Sahara buried this ancient Roman city—preserving it for centuries," 30 July 2019 Formerly a coastal defense fort during World War II, the park is now home to 25 miles of hiking and biking trails. Hike the Bluff Trail, a 3.5-mile loop that takes you up and around the bluffs and returns along the beach. Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Long Weekend on Whidbey Island, the Playground of the Pacific Northwest," 10 July 2019 Teammates communicate via headsets, launch missions to scavenge for supplies amid a post-apocalyptic landscape, build traps and ultimately ward off and destroy a legion of zombies, all the while shoring up a fort against the encroaching mob. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "Fortnite: How a video game became baseball's most addictive pastime, from MLB to Little League," 21 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fort

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for fort

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

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More Definitions for fort

fort

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fort

: a strong building or group of buildings where soldiers live

fort

noun
\ ˈfȯrt How to pronounce fort (audio) \

Kids Definition of fort

: a strong or fortified place

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More from Merriam-Webster on fort

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with fort

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fort

Spanish Central: Translation of fort

Nglish: Translation of fort for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of fort for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fort