Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter noun

1. a fort in SE South Carolina, in the harbor of Charleston: its bombardment by the Confederates opened the Civil War on April 12, 1861.

British Dictionary definitions for fort sumter Fort Sumter noun

1. a fort in SE South Carolina, guarding Charleston Harbour. Its capture by Confederate forces (1861) was the first action of the Civil War

Word Origin and History for fort sumter Fort Sumter

military installation in South Carolina, U.S., begun in 1827, named for U.S. Revolutionary War officer and Congressman Thomas Sumter (1734-1832), “The Carolina Gamecock.” The family name is attested from 1206, from Old French sometier “driver of a pack horse.”