▪ I. † forte, fort
variant of forto prep. and conj. Obs. Also sometimes standing for for to before an infinitive: see for prep. 11, 11 b.
| a 1175 Cott. Hom. 235 Nas tid..þat god ne send gode mænn his folc forte ᵹelaðie to his rice. a 1225 Ancr. R. 96 Ȝif eni mon bit fort iseon ou. c 1300 Beket 86 He ȝeode forte awaite what that wonder were. 1307 Elegy Edw. I, ii, Al Englond ahte forte knowe, Of wham that song is. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ii. 4 Teche me the kuynde craft forte knowe the False. c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 44 Into his hert fort reche Al the clergy undir sonne That we seven clerkes cunne. |
▪ II. forte, n.
(ˈfɔːti, ˈfɔːteɪ, formerly fɔːt)
Also 7–8 fort.
[a. F. fort, absolute use of fort strong: see fort a. As in many other adoptions of Fr. adjs. used as ns., the fem. form has been ignorantly substituted for the masc.; cf. locale, morale (of an army), etc.]
1. The strong point (of a person), that in which he excels.
| 1682 Shadwell Medal Epil. A b, His Fort is, that he is an indifferent good Versificator. 1768 Goldsm. Good-n. Man Epil., Those things are not our forte at Covent Garden. 1805 W. Irving in Life & Lett. (1864) I. 158 The artful designing hypocrite is his forte, and in Iago he is admirable. 1870 M. Bridgman R. Lynne II. xii. 244 Mr. Selwyn had a forte for horse-racing. |
2. Fencing. The strongest part of a sword-blade.
| a 1648, 1755, 1837, 1879 [see foible B. 2]. 1692 Sir W. Hope Fencing Master 3 The Strong, Fort, or Prime of the Blade is Measured from the Shell..to the middle of the Blade. 1809 Roland Fencing 3 The sword being supported by the fort of it in your left hand. |
b. fig.
| 1772 in Simes Milit. Guide 6 They would more easily discover the fort or foible of their respective commands. 1823 De Quincey Lett. Yng. Man Wks. XIV. 27 A student of mature age must be presumed to be best acquainted..with his ‘forte’ and his ‘foible’. |
3. Pugilism.
| 1815 Sporting Mag. XLVI. 109 He covered his head with his left hand, went in, and got to his forte. |
▪ III. ‖ forte, a. (adv.) and n. Mus.
(ˈfɔrte, ˈfɔːteɪ)
[It. = strong, loud:—L. fortis.]
A. adj. (adv.) A musical direction indicating a strong, loud tone in performance. Also forte forte very loud. (Abbreviated f., ff.) Also attrib.
| 1724 Short Explic. For. Words in Mus. Bks. 32 Forte..is to play or sing loud and strong, and Forte Forte, or FF, is very loud. 1818 in Todd. 1852 Spencer Use & Beauty Ess. 1891 II. 373 Forte passages in music must have piano passages to relieve them. 1884 Pall Mall G. 8 Sept. 4/2 The usual jubilant and unsuitable forte chorus. |
B. n. ‘Forte’ tone; a ‘forte’ passage. Also, in the Harmonium, an apparatus used for producing a forte effect.
| 1759 Sterne Tr. Shandy i. xxiii, The forte or piano of a certain wind instrument they use. a 1774 Fergusson Poems (1845) 5 Banish vile Italian tricks Frae out your quorum Nor fortes wi' pianos mix. 1883 Athenæum 28 Apr. 549/3 His tone in the fortes is rather coarse. |