Etymology: < French redoute small detached fortification containing artillery (1599 in Middle French; also †redote, †ridotte, †ridoute (all 1616)), public ball (1752, originally with reference to such balls held in Venice and at German courts), venue for gaming and dancing (1754, earliest as †ridotte ) < Italian ridotto venue for conversation, business, and (especially in later use) public entertainment such as gaming, dancing, etc. (13th cent. in general sense; apparently 1598 or earlier in specific sense ‘public venue for gaming’), fieldwork, outwork, small bastion (a1540; a1292 in a military context, denoting a mountain shelter used as base for military operations) < post-classical Latin reductus refuge, hiding place, retreat (although this is apparently first attested later: 14th cent.) < classical Latin reductus retired, past participle of redūcere reduce v. The form of the French word was altered as a result of association with (etymologically unrelated) redouter , †redoubter redoubt v., perhaps on account of the fortification being perceived as formidable; compare the α. forms, unparalleled in French or other Romance languages, which show similar association in English. Compare ridotto n.Compare Spanish reducto (1582; 1566 as †reduto ), Portuguese reduto (a1617 as †reducto ), also Dutch redoute (1619 in sense 1a, 1644 in sense 1b, 1765 in sense ‘masked ball’), German Redoute (1607 in sense 1a as reducte , influenced by Latin reductus ; 1616 as redoutte in same sense; late 18th cent. or earlier in sense ‘masked ball’: compare quot. 1787 and other later examples at sense 3a), Swedish redutt , †redut (1621 as †reduicte , †redutte , in sense 1a, 1736 in sense 3b, late 18th cent. in sense 3a). The senses ‘entertainment consisting of music and dancing’, ‘masked ball’ are not recorded in dictionaries of Italian, though the quots. at ridotto n. suggest that at least the former, more general, sense was current in Italian in the first half of the 18th cent. or earlier. Moreover, there is ample evidence for Italian ridotto in the general sense ‘gathering of people for conversation, play, or other leisure activities’ (a1484). In sense 1b perhaps by association with reduit n. In sense 3b probably after Italian ridotto.

Etymology: Apparently < Anglo-Norman and Middle French redoubté redoubted adj. Compare redoubtable adj., earlier redoubted adj., and later redoubt v.For the ending see discussion at assign n.², and compare orne adj.²

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman reduter, Anglo-Norman and Middle French redoubter, redouter (French redouter ) to dread, fear (a person or thing) (first half of the 12th cent. in Old French as redoter ), to stand in awe or apprehension of (a person, especially a ruler) (first half of the 12th cent. in past participle redoté redoubted adj.) < re- re- prefix + doter , douter , duter doubt v. Compare Old Occitan redoptar , Italian (now archaic) ridottare (a1348; < French). Compare redoubtable adj. and slightly earlier redoubted adj.