Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FOR'TI-FI-A-BLE, a.

That may be fortified. [Little used.]

FOR-TI-FI-CA'TION, n. [See Fortify.]

1. The act of fortifying.
2. The art or science of fortifying places to defend them against an enemy, by means of moats, ramparts, parapets and other bulwarks. Encyc.
3. The works erected to defend a place against attack.
4. A fortified place; a fort; a castle.
5. Additional strength.

FOR'TI-FI-ED, pp.

Made strong against attacks.

FOR'TI-FI-ER, n.

1. One who erects works for defense. Carew.
2. One who strengthens, supports and upholds; that which strengthens.

FOR'TI-FY, v.i.

To raise strong places. Milton.

FOR'TI-FY, v.t. [Fr. fortifier; Sp. fortificar; It. fortificare.]

1. To surround with a wall, ditch, palisades or other works with a view to defend against the attacks of an enemy; to strengthen and secure by forts, batteries and other works of art; as, to fortify a city, town or harbor.
2. To strengthen against any attack; as, to fortify the mind, against any sudden calamity.
3. To confirm; to add strength and firmness to; as, to fortify an opinion or resolution; to fortify hope or desire.
4. To furnish with strength or means of resisting force, violence or assault.

FOR'TI-FY-ING, ppr.

Making strong against attacks.

FOR-TI-LAGE, n.

A little fort; a blockhouse. [Not used.] Spenser.

FORT-IN, n. [Fr.]

A little fort; a field fort; a sconce. Shak.

FORTISSIMO, adv. [Fortissimo.]

In music, a direction to sing with the utmost strength or loudness.

FORTITER-IN-RE, adv. [Fortiter in re. L.]

Firmly in action or execution.

FOR'TI-TUDE, n. [L. fortitudo, from fortis, strong.]

That strength or firmness of mind or soul which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression or despondency. Fortitude is the basis or source of genuine courage or intrepidity in danger, of patience in suffering, of forbearance under injuries, and of magnanimity in all conditions of life. We sometimes confound the effect with the cause, and use fortitude as synonymous with courage or patience; but courage is an active virtue or vice, and patience is the effect of fortitude. Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues. Locke.

FORT-LET, n.

A little fort.

FORT'NIGHT, n. [fort'nit. contracted from fourteen nights, our ancestors reckoning time by nights and winters; so also, sevennights, sennight, a week. Non dierum numerum, ut nos, sed noctium computant. Tacitus.]

The space of fourteen days; two weeks.

FOR'TRESS, n. [Fr. forteresse; It. fortezza, from fort, forte, strong.]

1. Any fortified place; a fort; a castle; a strong hold; a place of defense or security. The English have a strong fortress on the rock of Gibraltar, or that rock is a fortress.
2. Defense; safety; security. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress. Ps. xviii.

FOR'TRESS, v.t.

To furnish with fortresses; to guard; fortify. Shak.

FOR'TRESS-ED, a.

Defended by a fortress; protected; secured. Spenser.

FOR-TU'I-TOUS, a. [L. fortuitus, from the root of fors, forte, fortuna; Fr. fortuit; It. and Sp. fortuito. The primary sense is, to come, to fall, to happen. See Fare.]

Accidental; casual; happening by chance; coming or occurring unexpectedly, or without any known cause. We speak of fortuitous events, when they occur without our foreseeing or expecting them, and of a fortuitous concourse of atoms, when we suppose the concourse not to result from the design and power of a controlling agent. But an event can not be in fact fortuitous. [See Accidental and Casual.]

FOR-TU'I-TOUS-LY, adv.

Accidentally; casually; by chance.

FOR-TU'I-TOUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being accidental; accident; chance.

FOR-TU'I-TY, n.

Accident

FOR'TU-NATE, a. [L. fortunatus. See Fortune.]

1. Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some unexpected good; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate ticket in lottery.
2. Lucky; successful; receiving some unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; as, a fortunate adventurer in lottery. I was most fortunate thus unexpectedly to meet my friend.
3. Successful; happy; prosperous; receiving or enjoying some good in consequence of efforts, but where the event was uncertain, and not absolutely in one's power. The brave man is usually fortunate. We say, a fortunate competitor for a fair lady, or for a crown.

FOR'TU-NATE-LY, adv.

Luckily; successfully; happily; by good fortune, or favorable chance or issue.

FOR'TU-NATE-NESS, n.

Good luck; success; happiness. Sidney.

FOR'TUNE, n. [Fr. from L. fortuna; Sp. and It. fortuna; Arm. fortun; from the root of Sax. faran, to go, or L. fero or porto. So in D. gebeuren, to happen, to fall, from the root of bear; gebeurtenis, an event. We find the same word in opportunus, (ob-portunus,) seasonable. The primary sense is an event, that which comes or befalls. So Fr. heureux, from heure, hour, that is, time, season, and L. tempestivus. See Hour and Time. The Russ. pora, time, season, is of this family, and fortune is closely allied to it.]

1. Properly, chance; accident; luck; the arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner. Hence the heathens deified chance, and consecrated temples and altars to the goddess. Hence the modern use of the word, for a power supposed to distribute the lots of life, according to her own humor. Though fortune's malice overthrow my state. Shak.
2. The good or ill that befalls man. In you the fortune of Great Britain lies. Dryden.
3. Success, good or bad; event. Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give. Dryden.
4. The chance of life; means of living; wealth. His father dying, he was driven to London to seek his fortune. Swift.
5. Estate; possessions; as, a gentleman of small fortune.
6. A large estate; great wealth. This is often the sense of the word standing alone or unqualified; as, a gentleman or lady of fortune. To the ladies we say, beware of fortune-hunters.
7. The portion of a man or woman; generally of a woman.
8. Futurity; future state or events; destiny. The young are anxious to have their fortunes told. You who men's fortunes in their faces read. Cowley.