fortification

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French fortification, from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis.

noun

1. The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
2. That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle.
   Kenett states that the military works still known by the name of Tadmarten Camp and Hook-Norton Barrow were cast up at this time ; the former, large and round, is judged to be a fortification of the Danes, and the latter, being smaller and rather a quinquangle than a square, of the Saxons. 1881, John Kirby Hedges, The history of Wallingford, volume 1, page 170
   As Edwin Clark … wrote in 1850: "… The lofty towers of the castle overhang the western approach to the Bridge, and the line passes into Conway through an opening pierced in the embattled wall, which entirely surrounds the town. These fortifications are in good preservation, and rank among the most perfect examples of the strongholds of the 13th century." January 12 2022, Dr. Joseph Brennan, “Castles: ruined and redeemed by rail”, in RAIL, number 948, page 54
3. An increase in effectiveness, as by adding ingredients.
   Compare the nutrition information label of a regular ready-to-eat fortified cereal with that of a presweetened brand and you'll note that, although the sweetened one's sugar content is higher, the fortification is virtually identical. 1979 July, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, volume 33, number 7, page 47
4. A jagged pattern sometimes seen during an attack of migraine.