Forte Forte (fōrt) noun [ IT. forte : confer French fort . See Fort .] 1. The strong point; that in which one excels.

The construction of a fable seems by no means the forte of our modern poetical writers.

Jeffrey. 2. The stronger part of the blade of a sword; the part of half nearest the hilt; -- opposed to foible .

Forte For"te (fôr"ta or fōr"ta) adverb [ Italian forte , adjective & adverb , from Latin fortis strong.] (Mus.) Loudly; strongly; powerfully.

Forted Fort"ed adjective Furnished with, or guarded by, forts; strengthened or defended, as by forts. [ R.] Shak.

Forth Forth v. [ Anglo-Saxon forð , from for akin to Dutch voort , German fort √78. See Fore , For , and confer Afford , Further , adverb ] 1. Forward; onward in time, place, or order; in advance from a given point; on to end; as, from that day forth ; one, two, three, and so forth .

Lucas was Paul's companion, at the leastway from the sixteenth of the Acts forth .

Tyndale.

From this time forth , I never will speak word .

Shak.

I repeated the Ave Maria; the inquisitor bad me say forth ; I said I was taught no more.

Strype. 2. Out, as from a state of concealment, retirement, confinement, nondevelopment, or the like; out into notice or view; as, the plants in spring put forth leaves.

When winter past, and summer scarce begun,
Invites them forth to labor in the sun.

Dryden. 3. Beyond a (certain) boundary; away; abroad; out.

I have no mind of feasting forth to- night.

Shak. 4. Throughly; from beginning to end. [ Obsolete] Shak. And so forth , Back and forth , From forth . See under And , Back , and From . -- Forth of , Forth from , out of. [ Obsolete] Shak. -- To bring forth . See under Bring .

Forth Forth preposition Forth from; out of. [ Archaic]

Some forth their cabins peep.

Donne.

Forth Forth noun [ Middle English , a ford. ... 78. See Frith .] A way; a passage or ford. [ Obsolete] Todd.

Forthby Forth`by" adverb [ Obsolete] See Forby .

Forthcoming Forth"com`ing adjective Ready or about to appear; making appearance.

Forthgoing Forth"go`ing noun A going forth; an utterance. A. Chalmers.

Forthgoing Forth"go`ing adjective Going forth.

Forthink For·think" transitive verb To repent; to regret; to be sorry for; to cause regret. [ Obsolete] "Let it forthink you." Tyndale.

That me forthinketh , quod this January.

Chaucer.

Forthputing Forth"put`ing adjective Bold; forward; aggressive.

Forthright Forth"right` adverb [ Forth , adverb + right , adverb ] Straight forward; in a straight direction. [ Archaic] Sir P. Sidney.

Forthright Forth"right` adjective Direct; straightforward; as, a forthright man. [ Archaic] Lowell.

They were Night and Day, and Day and Night,
Piligrims wight with steps forthright .

Emerson.

Forthright Forth"right` noun A straight path. [ Archaic]

Here's a maze trod, indeed,
Through forthrights and meanders!

Shak.

Forthrightness Forth"right`ness noun Straightforwardness; explicitness; directness. [ Archaic]

Dante's concise forthrightness of phrase.

Hawthorne.

Forthward Forth"ward adverb [ Forth , adverb + -ward .] Forward. [ Obsolete] Bp. Fisher.

Forthwith Forth`with" adverb 1. Immediately; without delay; directly.

Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith .

Acts ix. 18. 2. (Law) As soon as the thing required may be done by reasonable exertion confined to that object. Bouvier.

Forthy For·thy" adverb [ Anglo-Saxon forðȳ ; for , preposition + ðȳ , instrumental neut. of se , seó , ðæt , pron. demonstrative and article. See The .] Therefore. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Forties For"ties noun plural See Forty .

Fortieth For"ti·eth adjective [ Anglo-Saxon feówertigo...a . See Forty .] 1. Following the thirty-ninth, or preceded by thirty-nine units, things, or parts. 2. Constituting one of forty equal parts into which anything is divided.

Fortieth For"ti·eth noun One of forty equal parts into which one whole is divided; the quotient of a unit divided by forty; one next in order after the thirty-ninth.

Fortifiable For"ti·fi`a·ble adjective [ Confer Old French fortifiable .] Capable of being fortified. Johnson.

Fortification For`ti·fi·ca"tion noun [ Latin fortificatio : confer French fortification .] 1. The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places in order to defend them against an enemy. 2. That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle. Fortification agate , Scotch pebble. Syn. -- Fortress; citadel; bulwark. See Fortress .

Fortifier For"ti·fi`er noun One who, or that which, fortifies, strengthens, supports, or upholds.

Fortify For"ti·fy transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fortified ; present participle & verbal noun Fortifying .] [ French fortifier , Latin fortificare ; fortis strong + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Fort , and -fy .] 1. To add strength to; to strengthen; to confirm; to furnish with power to resist attack.

Timidity was fortified by pride.

Gibbon.

Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to fortify his resolution.

Sir W. Scott. 2. To strengthen and secure by forts or batteries, or by surrounding with a wall or ditch or other military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces.

Fortify For"ti·fy intransitive verb To raise defensive works. Milton.

Fortilage For"ti·lage noun [ Confer Fortalice .] A little fort; a blockhouse. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Fortin Fort"in noun [ French See Fort , noun ] A little fort; a fortlet. [ Obsolete]

Fortissimo For·tis"si·mo adverb [ Italian , superl. of forte , adverb See Forte , adverb ] (Mus.) Very loud; with the utmost strength or loudness.

Fortition For·ti"tion noun [ See Fortuitous .] Casual choice; fortuitous selection; hazard. [ R.]

No mode of election operating in the spirit of fortition or rotation can be generally good.

Burke.

Fortitude For"ti·tude noun [ Latin fortitudo , from fortis strong. See Fort .] 1. Power to resist attack; strength; firmness. [ Obsolete]

The fortitude of the place is best known to you.

Shak. 2. That strength or firmness of mind which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression, or despondency; passive courage; resolute endurance; firmness in confronting or bearing up against danger or enduring trouble.

Extolling patience as the truest fortitude .

Milton.

Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.

Locke. Syn. -- Courage; resolution; resoluteness; endurance; bravery. See Courage , and Heroism .

Fortitudinous For`ti·tu"di·nous adjective Having fortitude; courageous. [ R.] Gibbon.

Fortlet Fort"let noun A little fort. [ R.] Bailey.

Fortnight Fort"night` noun [ Contr. from fourteen nights , our ancestors reckoning time by nights and winters; so, also, seven nights , sennight , a week.] The space of fourteen days; two weeks.

Fortnightly Fort"night`ly adjective Occurring or appearing once in a fortnight; as, a fortnightly meeting of a club; a fortnightly magazine, or other publication. -- adverb Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a fortnight.

Fortread For·tread" transitive verb To tread down; to trample upon. [ Obsolete]

In hell shall they be all fortroden of devils.

Chaucer.

Fortress For"tress noun ; plural Fortresses . [ French forteresse , Old French forteresce , fortelesce , Late Latin foralitia , from Latin fortis strong. See Fort , and confer Fortalice .] A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security. Syn. -- Fortress , Fortification , Castle , Citadel . A fortress is constructed for military purposes only, and is permanently garrisoned; a fortification is built to defend harbors, cities, etc.; a castle is a fortress of early times which was ordinarily a palatial dwelling; a citadel is the stronghold of a fortress or city, etc.

Fortress For"tress transitive verb To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify. Shak.

Fortuitous For·tu"i·tous adjective [ Latin fortuitus ; akin to forte , adverb , by chance, prop. abl. of fors , fortis , chance. See Fortune .] 1. Happening by chance; coming or occuring unexpectedly, or without any known cause; chance; as, the fortuitous concourse of atoms.

It was from causes seemingly fortuitous . . . that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed.

Robertson.

So as to throw a glancing and fortuitous light upon the whole.

Hazlitt. 2. (LAw) Happening independently of human will or means of foresight; resulting from unavoidable physical causes. Abbott. Syn. -- Accidental; casual; contingent; incidental. See Accidental . -- For*tu"i*tous*ly , adverb -- For*tu"i*tous*ness , noun

Fortuity For·tu"i·ty noun [ Confer French fortuité .] Accident; chance; casualty. D. Forbes (1750).

Fortunate For"tu·nate adjective [ Latin fortunatus , past participle of fortunare to make fortunate or prosperous, from fortuna . See Fortune , noun ] 1. Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain; presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate investment. 2. Receiving same unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; favored with good forune; lucky. Syn. -- Auspicious; lucky; prosperous; successful; favored; happy. -- Fortunate , Successful , Prosperous . A man is fortunate , when he is favored of fortune, and has unusual blessings fall to his lot; successful when he gains what he aims at; prosperous when he succeeds in those things which men commonly desire. One may be fortunate , in some cases, where he is not successful ; he may be successful , but, if he has been mistaken in the value of what he has aimed at, he may for that reason fail to be prosperous .

Fortunately For"tu·nate·ly adverb In a fortunate manner; luckily; successfully; happily.

Fortunateness For"tu·nate·ness noun The condition or quality of being fortunate; good luck; success; happiness.

Fortune For"tune (fôr"tun; 135) noun [ French fortune , Latin fortuna ; akin to fors , fortis , chance, probably from ferre to bear, bring. See Bear to support, and confer Fortuitous .] 1. The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident; luck; hap; also, the personified or deified power regarded as determining human success, apportioning happiness and unhappiness, and distributing arbitrarily or fortuitously the lots of life.

'T is more by fortune , lady, than by merit.

Shak.

O Fortune , Fortune , all men call thee fickle.

Shak. 2. That which befalls or is to befall one; lot in life, or event in any particular undertaking; fate; destiny; as, to tell one's fortune .

You, who men's fortunes in their faces read.

Cowley. 3. That which comes as the result of an undertaking or of a course of action; good or ill success; especially, favorable issue; happy event; success; prosperity as reached partly by chance and partly by effort.

Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give.

Dryden.

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune .

Shak.

His father dying, he was driven to seek his fortune .

Swift. 4. Wealth; large possessions; large estate; riches; as, a gentleman of fortune . Syn. -- Chance; accident; luck; fate. Fortune book , a book supposed to reveal future events to those who consult it. Crashaw. -- Fortune hunter , one who seeks to acquire wealth by marriage. -- Fortune teller , one who professes to tell future events in the life of another. -- Fortune telling , the practice or art of professing to reveal future events in the life of another.

Fortune For"tune transitive verb [ Old French fortuner , Latin fortunare . See Fortune , noun ] 1. To make fortunate; to give either good or bad fortune to. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. 2. To provide with a fortune. Richardson. 3. To presage; to tell the fortune of. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Fortune For"tune intransitive verb To fall out; to happen.

It fortuned the same night that a Christian, serving a Turk in the camp, secretely gave the watchmen warning.

Knolles.

Fortuneless For"tune·less adjective Luckless; also, destitute of a fortune or portion. Spenser.

Fortunize For"tun·ize transitive verb To regulate the fortune of; to make happy. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Forty For"ty (fôr"tȳ) adjective [ Middle English forti , fourti , fowerti , Anglo-Saxon feówertig ; feówer four + suff. - tig ten; akin to Old Saxon fiwartig , fiartig , Dutch veertig , German vierzig , Icelandic fjörutīu , Swedish fyratio , Danish fyrretyve , Goth. fidwōr tigjus . See Four , and Ten , and confer Fourteen .] Four times ten; thirty-nine and one more.