castle
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: käs'(ə)l
ipa: /ˈkɑːsəl/
ipa: /kɑːsl̩/
rhymes: -ɑːsəl
note: US, Canada, Northern England, Victoria
enpr: kăs'(ə)l
ipa: /ˈkæsəl/
note: US, Canada, Northern England, Victoria
ipa: /kæsl̩/
note: US, Canada, Northern England, Victoria
rhymes: -æsəl
Forms: form: castles
Etymology: From Middle English castle, castel, from late Old English castel, castell (“a town, village”), borrowed from Late Latin castellum (“small camp, fort”), diminutive of Latin castrum (“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”). Doublet of cashel, castell, castellum, and château.
Parallel borrowings (from Late Latin or Old French) are Scots castel, castell (“castle”), West Frisian kastiel (“castle”), Dutch kasteel (“castle”), German Kastell (“castle”), Danish kastel (“citadel”), Swedish kastell (“citadel”), Icelandic kastali (“castle”), Welsh castell.
The late Old English word was borrowed from biblical Latin castellum which has been translated as town or village. With the sense of castle, from Anglo-Norman/Old Northern French castel (“castle”), itself from Late Latin castellum (“small camp, fort”) (compare modern French château from Old French chastel). If Latin castrum (“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”) is from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“hut, shed”), Latin casa (“cottage, hut”) is related. Possibly related also to Gothic 𐌷𐌴𐌸𐌾𐍉 (hēþjō, “chamber”), Old English heaþor (“restraint, confinement, enclosure, prison”). See also casino, cassock.
Senses: glosses: A large residential building or compound that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king. Also, a house or mansion with some of the architectural features of medieval castles.
topics: board-games
chess
games
glosses: An instance of castling.
topics: board-games
chess
games
glosses: A rook; a chess piece shaped like a castle tower.
topics: board-games
games
shogi
glosses: A defense structure in shogi formed by defensive pieces surrounding the king.
examples: text: The castle was perhaps a figurative name for a close headpiece deduced from its enclosing and defending the head, as a castle did the whole body; or a corruption from the Old French word casquetel, a small or light helmet.
ref: 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 12:
glosses: A close helmet.
glosses: Any strong, imposing, and stately palace or mansion.
glosses: A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back.
examples: text: Nay, he was quite an adept, and was very effective as a change bowler, for in no time he demolished the castle of any batsman.
ref: 1966, Gurdeep Singh, Cricket in Northern India, page 59:
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: The wicket.
Synonyms: sense: building
word: fortress
Hyponyms: sense: building
word: keep
sense: building
word: motte and bailey
Coordinate terms: sense: building
english: overseer
translation: overseer
word: castellan
sense: building
word: castellate
sense: building
english: domain
translation: domain
word: castellany
sense: building
word: incastle
sense: building
english: to make into a castle
translation: to make into a castle
word: incastellate
sense: building
word: castellated
sense: building
word: incastled
sense: building
english: castle-like
translation: castle-like
word: incastellated
Derived terms: aftcastle
aftercastle
air castle
a man's home is his castle
an Englishman's home is his castle
Barnard Castle
becastled
Bishop's Castle
bouncing castle
bouncy castle
build castles in the air
Burgh Castle
Castle
Castle Acre
Castle Ashby
Castlebellingham
Castle Bolton
Castle Bromwich
castlebuilder
castlebuilding
Castle Bytham
Castle Caereinion
Castle Cary
Castle Combe
Castle Dale
Castledawson
castle doctrine
Castle Donington
Castle Douglas
Castle Eden
Castleford
castleful
Castle Green
Castle Gresley
castle-guard
Castle Hedingham
Castle Hill
Castle Hot Springs
castle in the air
castle in the skies
castleless
castlelike
Castle Mountain
castle nut
castle of love
Castle Point
castle pudding
Castle Rising
Castle Rock
Castlerock
castlet
castle thunder
Castletown
castlette
Castle Vale
castleward
castle-wick
castlewise
castle-work
castlewright
cat-castle
Corfe Castle
counter-castle
coward's castle
Elephant and Castle
Elmley Castle
fairy castle cactus
fo'castle
fo'c's'le
fo'c'sle
fo'c'stle
forecastle
Greencastle
Hanley Castle
Hopton Castle
ice castle
inflatable castle
jumping castle
king of the castle
milecastle
Mountcastle
New Castle
Newcastle
pseudocastle
Redcastle
Richard's Castle
Rowlands Castle
sandcastle
snow castle
starter castle
sterncastle
summer-castle
toll castle
uncastle
Wolf's Castle
worm castle
Related terms: castelet
castell
castellan
castellar
castellate
castellated
castellation
castellum