A fortified structure or stronghold; historically, a variant spelling or reference to a type of fortification or the name of people who built them.
'Fortescue' appears to derive from 'forte' (strong place) combined with 'scue' or 'scu' (an Old English term for fortress). It's an English surname tied to medieval fortifications; the Fortescue family were prominent landowners. The word reflects Norman-English architecture terminology.
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