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the shoulder of a bastion for the purpose of covering the retired flank, -- found in old fortresses.

A camp permanently intrenched, attached to Turkish frontier fortresses.

One of a series of long trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the fortress.

A grating of iron or of timbers pointed with iron, hung over the gateway of a fortress, to be let down to prevent the entrance of an enemy. "Let the portcullis fall." Sir W. Scott. She . . . the huge portcullis high updrew. Milton.

A place of defense; a fortress; a garrison; a fortress; a garrison or guardhouse.

A fortress. [Obs.] Howell.

An area defended by four fortresses supporting each other; as, the Venetian quadrilateral, comprising Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnano. Complete quadrilateral (Geom.), the figure made up of the six straight lines that can be drawn through four points, A., B, C, I, the lines being supposed to be produced indefinit…

o cause to be, or to become; as, to render a person more safe or more unsafe; to render a fortress secure.

resembles a rock in firmness; a defense; a support; a refuge. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress. 2 Sam. xxii. 2.

n; especially, in the plural, the remains of a destroyed, dilapidated, or desolate house, fortress, city, or the like. The Veian and the Gabian towers shall fall, And one promiscuous ruin cover all; Nor, after length of years, a stone betray The place where once the very ruins lay. Addison. The labor of a day will not…

A fortification, or work for defense; a fort. No sconce or fortress of his raising was ever known either to have been forced, or yielded up, or quitted. Milton.

ming party (Mil.), a party assigned to the duty of making the first assault in storming a fortress.

ssor an advantage over his opponent, as a mountain pass, a junction of rivers or roads, a fortress, etc.

sustain attacks; not easily subdued or taken; as, a strong beam; a strong rock; a strong fortress or town.

A fastness; a fort or fortress; fortfield place; a place of security.

ers who suffered persecution in the fifteenth century; -- so called from Tabor, a hill or fortress where they encamped during a part of their struggles.

s against an assailant or objector, or againts attempts to take or process; as, a tenable fortress, a tenable argument. If you have hitherto concealed his sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still. Shak. I would be the last man in the world to give up his cause when it was tenable. Sir W. Scott.…

A citadel; a fortress; hence, a defense. Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. Ps. lxi. 3.

esist external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress.