different between fortress vs casbah

English

Etymology

Early 14 c., from Old French forteresce, forteresse, forterece (“strong place, fortification”) [from 12th c.], variant of fortelesse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis (“strong”) (see fort) +? -itia, added to adjectives to form nouns of quality or condition. French -ess, from Latin -itia is also in words such as duress, largesse and riches. For change of medial -l- to -r- in Old French, compare orne (“elm”) from ulmus; chartre from cartula and chapitre from capitulum.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??.t??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??.t??s/
• Hyphenation: fort?ress

Noun

fortress (plural fortresses)

1. A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; for example a fort, a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
2. (chess) A position that, if obtained by the weaker side, will prevent penetration by the opposing side, generally achieving a draw.

Synonyms

• bastion, stronghold, bulwark

Translations

See also

• fortalice, fortilice

Verb

fortress (third-person singular simple present fortresses, present participle fortressing, simple past and past participle fortressed)

1. (transitive) To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard, to fortify.

English

Alternative forms

• kasbah, qasbah

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ???????? (qa?aba).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kaz.b??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?kæz.b?/

Noun

casbah (plural casbahs)

1. The fortress in a city in North Africa or the Middle East.
2. (by synecdoche) The medina, the older part of a city in North Africa or the Middle East.

Translations

Anagrams

• Bachas, Schaab, bachas

French

Alternative forms

• kasbah

Etymology

From Arabic ???????? (qa?aba)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kas.ba/

Noun

casbah f (plural casbahs)

1. casbah

Further reading

• “casbah” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).