a large, heavily fortified building or place designed to resist attack and protect people inside.
From Old French 'forteresse,' derived from Latin 'fortis' meaning 'strong.' The suffix '-ess' is a feminine marker in Romance languages, creating 'the strong one' or 'stronghold.'
Fort, fortress, force, and fortify all come from the same Latin root 'fortis' (strong)—they're all about strength and protection. Language families cluster words around fundamental human needs!
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