fortify Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb make strong or stronger
    strengthen; beef up.
    • This exercise will strengthen your upper body
    • strengthen the relations between the two countries
  2. verb enclose by or as if by a fortification
    fort.
  3. verb prepare oneself for a military confrontation
    build up; gird; arm.
    • The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
    • troops are building up on the Iraqi border
  4. verb add nutrients to
    • fortified milk
  5. verb add alcohol to (beverages)
    lace; spike.
    • the punch is spiked!

WordNet

For"ti*fy transitive verb
Etymology
F. fortifier, L. fortificare; fortis strong + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Fort, and -fy.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fortified ; present participle & verbal noun Fortifying
Definitions
  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.
For"ti*fy intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To raise defensive works. Milton.

Webster 1913