FASTNESS


Meaning of FASTNESS in English

ˈfas(t)nə̇s, -aas-, -ais-, -ȧs- noun

( -es )

Etymology: Middle English fastnesse, from Old English fæstnes, from fæst fast + -nes -ness — more at fast , -ness I

1. : the quality or state of being fast: as

a. : firmness or fixedness : fixed attachment : fixity

b. obsolete : security , inaccessibility

c. : swiftness , speed

d. : resistance to color change : the quality of being colorfast — used of dyes or dyed materials

e. : resistance to the action of certain especially toxic substances (as that developed by some organisms)

2. obsolete : density , solidity

3.

a. : a fortified or secure place : stronghold , fort , fortress , castle

b. : a place of retreat or privacy

visited them in their desert fastness — Simon Bourgin

the poet can retire into the fastness of himself — Clifton Fadiman

— often used in plural

into the fastnesses of the pine- and oak-covered hills — American Guide Series: Tennessee

down in the remote fastnesses of Staten Island — Richard Burke

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.