fort

The word “fort” means a strong structure built to defend a place, usually staffed with troops. In plain terms, a defensive military structure, or — more playfully — a den built by children out of whatever is lying around.

“Fort” is pronounced fawt (/fɔɹt/ in IPA).

Here is “fort” used in a sentence: “The soldiers were stationed at a fort near the border.”

“Fort” is a noun.

The word “fort” comes from Latin. From Old French fort, "strong," from Latin fortis. It shares this root with "forte" and "fortify.".

“Fort” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Fort” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a strong structure built to defend a place, usually staffed with troops.

A fort is a purely military structure built to defend a location and house troops. A castle is a fortified building that also served as the residence of a lord or monarch, combining defense with a home. Forts are about warfare; castles mix warfare with noble living.

The two overlap, but a fortress is generally larger, stronger, and more permanent, often protecting a whole town or key position. A fort tends to be smaller and more focused, guarding a single point. Every fortress is a kind of fort, but not every fort counts as a fortress.

Forts are built to defend a place and to give stationed troops a strong, protected base. From behind their walls, soldiers can guard borders, harbors, roads, or towns and hold out against attack. Historically they also stored weapons and supplies and served as centers of military control.