fortune

Etymology

From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.

noun

1. Destiny, especially favorable.
   She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money.
   you, who men's fortunes in their faces read 1647, Abraham Cowley, “My Fate”, in The Mistress
   […]his lordship was out of humour. That was the way Chollacombe described as knaggy an old gager as ever Charles had had the ill-fortune to serve. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax
2. A prediction or set of predictions about a person's future provided by a fortune teller.
3. A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie.
4. The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident.
5. Good luck.
   fame and fortune
   Fortune favors the brave.
6. One's wealth; the amount of money one has, especially if it is vast.
   He's amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East.
   My vast fortune was a result of inheritance and stock market nous.
   Her fortune is estimated at 3 million dollars.
7. A large amount of money.
   That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
   Why spend a small fortune on Puma when you could buy Numa, Tuna or Pigg? And why buy Adidas when you can buy Adidos or Avivas? Nike, when there's Nire or Hike? Calvin Klein, when clearly, Calvim Klain or Cavern Kernel are just as good? But remember, after a good workout, be sure to clean up with some Okay shampoo. Jun 24 2015, “Top 10 Chinese Knockoffs of Foreign Products” (00:02:53 from the start), in China Uncensored, spoken by himself (Chris Chappell), New Tang Dynasty Television, via New Tang Dynasty Television

verb

1. (transitive)
   1. To provide (someone) with a fortune.
   2. To tell the fortune of (someone); to presage.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To happen, to take place.