redoubt

Etymology 1

French redoute, from Italian ridotta, from Medieval Latin reductus (“refuge”), from Latin redūcō (“I withdraw”), with spelling influenced by doubt.

noun

1. A small, temporary, military fortification.
2. A reinforced refuge; a fort.
3. A place of safety or refuge.
   2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text To the south, the vast geometrical deserts of Arabian nomads, a redoubt of feral movement, of fickle winds, of open space, of saddle leather—home to the wild Bedouin tribes.

verb

1. (transitive) To fortify, to make into a stronghold.
   By the time that our troops had taken a little refreshment, a quantity of intrenching tools were brought a-shore, and the regiments were employed in redoubting our ground, and landing some cannon and ammunition. 1769, John Knox, An Historical Journal Of The Campaigns in North-America, page 72
   I have been employed from the day of action to that of the capitulation, in redoubting our Camp beyond insult 1815, William Smith, History of Canada: From Its First Discovery, to the Year 1791, page 35
   The Commanding Royal Engineer in Canada again brought forward the earlier plan for redoubting the Quebec towers. 1976, Canadian Historic Sites; Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History: Lieux Historiques Canadiens; Cahiers D'archéologie Et D'histoire

Etymology 2

From Old French redouter, from Latin dubitāre (“doubt”) prefixed with re-. The b was later added back in this word, and the related doubt and redoubtable, to reflect their Latin source.

verb

1. (archaic) To dread.

Etymology 3

re- + doubt

verb

1. (rare) To doubt again.
   Neither any of ſo many hundreds of expleaded, or nowe raigning hereſies, or any that ſhall ariſe hereafter, nor the Religion of Martine Luther so often profeſſed, and both priuately and publickly recanted, altered, changed, doubted, and redoubted by himſelfe, as his owne works and all proteſtants doe witneſſe... 1601, R. Broughton, An apologicall epistle, page 20
   Herr Fessler, in the true spirit of a metaphysical Zittémteur, has taken the subject up in the most orthodox style of Fog; descanting, and doubting, and redoubting, until the Fog becomes positively impervious 1860, George Augustus Sala, Looking at Life: Or, Thoughts and Things
   "At first we didn't think it was Annabelle. We doubted and redoubted it. But we're almost certain it was now, although there is a difference in her voice." 1951, Sam Hood, “Cigaret Dealers See Red (Stamps)”, in Pittsburgh Press

noun

1. (rare) The return of doubt.
   Undeterred by humble beginning, undaunted by frustrations imposed by others of lesser stature, undismayed by the doubts and redoubts of personal, political and elemental forces, he persevered, he pursued and he prevailed 1963, Clarence J. Crossland, The lady balances her scales
   My stock is a 3-1 bet to split by then, providing I have the guts to stonewall the supreme court of last resort, Key Biscayne, with my claim to gutlessly (i.e., physically unreally) surrounding the citadel with a mote in the beam of the Don, my brother's eye, a doubt and redoubt in the possibility of man's redemption. 1977, Saul Finkel, The circular seesaw
   [The] basic characterization of geography of which we are part of, is an implication of postmodemism that cannot be accepted by anyone who prefers the press of ordinary life to the narrow academic games of doubt and redoubt. 2011, Yoram Lubling, The Person Vanishes: John Dewey's Philosophy of Experience and the Self, Peter Lang Pub Incorporated