Link Centre Dictionary

fortify

for·tify

UK/ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/ US/ˈfɔɹtəˌfaɪ/ uncommon archaic obsolete

verb

1.

make strong or stronger

  • “This exercise will strengthen your upper body”
  • “strenghten the relations between the two countries”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

drive forcibly as if by a punch

  • “the nail punched through the wall”
Synonyms
3.

prepare oneself for a military confrontation

  • “The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East”
  • “troops are building up on the Iraqui border”
Synonyms
Antonyms
4.

add nutrients to

  • “fortified milk”
5.

add alcohol beverages

Synonyms

Origin

From Late Middle English fortifien, fortfien (“to strengthen (a castle, etc.) from attack; to strengthen (an army, etc.); to strengthen (a person), aid, support; to reinforce, support; to improve; to increase the efficacy of”), from Old French fortifier (modern French fortifier), from Late Latin fortificāre (“to strengthen, fortify”), from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to ascend, rise up; to be elevated or up high”) or *dʰerǵʰ- (“to be firm; robust, strong”)) + -ficō (suffix forming causative or factitive, or other verbs).

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.