A castle is a large building with thick, high walls. Castles were built by important people, such as kings, in former times, especially for protection during wars and battles.
2. See also sand castle
3. countable noun
In chess, a castle is a piece that can be moved forwards, backwards, or sideways.
More Synonyms of castle
castle in British English
(ˈkɑːsəl)
noun
1.
a fortified building or set of buildings, usually permanently garrisoned, as in medieval Europe
2.
any fortified place or structure
3.
a large magnificent house, esp when the present or former home of a nobleman or prince
4.
the citadel and strongest part of the fortifications of a medieval town
5. chess another name for rook2
verb
6. chess
to move (the king) two squares laterally on the first rank and place the nearest rook on the square passed over by the king, either towards the king's side (castling short) or the queen's side (castling long)
Word origin
C11: from Latin castellum, diminutive of castrum fort
castle in American English
(ˈkæsəl; ˈkɑsəl)
noun
1.
a large building or group of buildings fortified with thick walls, battlements, and often a moat; castles were the strongholds of noblemen in the Middle Ages
2.
any massive dwelling somewhat like this
3.
a safe, secure place; refuge
4. Chess
rook2
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcastled or ˈcastling
5.
to put into, or furnish with, a castle
6. Chess
to move (a king) two squares to either side and then, in the same move, set the castlein the square skipped by the king: permitted only when neither piece has been moved before and the spaces between them are not occupied
verb intransitive Chess
7.
to castle a king
Word origin
ME < OE & Anglo-Fr castel < L castellum, dim. of castrum, fort
Apparently they reckon it's a better insight into Britain than any castle or cathedral.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No one in the castle or town was immune to the horror of what then followed.
Jane Dunn ELIZABETH AND MARY: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (2003)
The castle also houses one of the largest collections of owls in the world.
The Sun (2010)
There are also two other castles in the area.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was still in his socks after going on the bouncy castle next to the ride.
The Sun (2009)
The lobby and restaurant are in the original castle building.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Its capture had a domino effect on neighbouring castles and towns.
Christina Hardyment Malory: The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler (2005)
The geography of the castle meant the two parties would be able to see each other but not speak.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Everyone is used to being the king of the castle so it is inevitable there will be a clash of egos.
The Sun (2006)
Building sand castles or jumping waves?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He is king of the castle.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The castle houses the tourist office.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The medieval castle is the most romantic ruin in Cornwall.
Begg, Ean & Rich, Deike On the Trail of Merlin - a guide to the Celtic mystery tradition (1991)
Location Durham is a green city with a beautiful cathedral and castle.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The main trench now extended about 50 metres from the first castle.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is one of the country's best preserved medieval castles.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The rooftop car park where a bouncy castle once stood is a gaping, empty hole.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In summer there are lakeside fish restaurants, most of them on the other side of the castle from the lido.
Jepson, Tim Umbria - the green heart of Italy (1989)
They say an Englishman's home is his castle.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The imposing castle sits high on the hill in the heart of the town, looming above the streets, shops and cars.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Word lists with
castle
home
In other languages
castle
British English: castle /ˈkɑːsl/ NOUN
A castle is a large building with thick, high walls that was built in the past to protect people during wars and battles.
American English: castle
Arabic: قَلْعَة
Brazilian Portuguese: castelo
Chinese: 城堡
Croatian: dvorac
Czech: hrad
Danish: slot
Dutch: kasteel
European Spanish: castillo
Finnish: linna
French: château
German: Schloss Gebäude
Greek: κάστρο
Italian: castello
Japanese: 城
Korean: 성
Norwegian: borg
Polish: zamek budynek
European Portuguese: castelo
Romanian: castel
Russian: замок жилище
Latin American Spanish: castillo
Swedish: slott
Thai: ปราสาท
Turkish: kale şato vb
Ukrainian: замок
Vietnamese: tòa lâu đài
All related terms of 'castle'
castle nut
a hexagonal nut with six slots in the head, two of which take a locking pin to hold it firmly in position
sand castle
A sand castle is a pile of sand, usually shaped like a castle, which children make when they are playing on the beach .
bouncy castle
A bouncy castle is a large object filled with air, often in the shape of a castle, which children play on at a fairground or other outdoor event.
Castle Howard
a mansion near York in Yorkshire : designed in 1700 by Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor ; the grounds include the Temple of the Four Winds and a mausoleum
Glamis Castle
a castle near Glamis in Angus , Scotland: ancestral seat of the Lyons family, forebears of Elizabeth , the Queen Mother; famous for its legend of a secret chamber
Hever Castle
a Tudor mansion near Edenbridge in Kent : home of Anne Boleyn before her marriage; Italian garden added in the 20th century by the Astor family
Leeds Castle
a castle near Maidstone in Kent : the home of several medieval queens of England
Belvoir Castle
a castle in Leicestershire , near Grantham (in Lincolnshire ): seat of the Dukes of Rutland ; rebuilt by James Wyatt in 1816
Berkeley Castle
a castle in Gloucestershire : scene of the murder of Edward II in 1327
Culzean Castle
a Gothic Revival castle near Ayr in South Ayrshire , in SW Scotland: designed by Robert Adam (1772–92); includes a room dedicated to Dwight D Eisenhower
Stokesay Castle
a fortified manor house near Craven Arms in Shropshire : built in the 12th century, with a 16th-century gatehouse
Tintagel Castle
a ruined castle on a promontory in SW England on the W coast of Cornwall , which is the legendary birthplace of King Arthur
Urquhart Castle
a castle near Drumnadrochit in Highland , Scotland: situated on Loch Ness
Windsor Castle
a castle in the town of Windsor in Berkshire , residence of English monarchs since its founding by William the Conqueror
Carisbrooke Castle
a castle near Newport on the Isle of Wight : Charles I was held prisoner here from 1647 until his execution in 1649
Sissinghurst Castle
a restored Elizabethan mansion near Cranbrook in Kent : noted for the gardens laid out in the 1930s by Victoria Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson
castle in the air
a hope or desire unlikely to be realized ; daydream
Eilean Donan Castle
a castle near the Kyle of Lochalsh in Highland , Scotland: built in the 13th century; famous for its picturesque setting
king of the castle
a children's game in which each child attempts to stand alone on a mound , sandcastle , etc, by pushing other children off it
an Englishman's home is his castle
said to mean that people have the right to do what they want in their own home , and that other people or the state have no right to interfere in people's private lives
Chinese translation of 'castle'
castle
(ˈkɑːsl)
n(c)
城堡 (chéngbǎo) (座, zuò)
(Chess) 车(車) (chē)
(noun)
Definition
a large fortified building or set of buildings, often built as a residence for a ruler or nobleman in medieval Europe
They were given a guided tour of the medieval castle.
Synonyms
fortress
a 13th-century fortress
keep
the parts of the keep open to visitors
palace
the palace courtyard
tower
troops occupied the first two floors of the tower
peel
chateau
stronghold
The seat was a stronghold of the Labour Party.
citadel
The citadel at Besançon towered above the river.
fastness
donjon
subject word lists
See Castles
Additional synonyms
in the sense of citadel
Definition
a fortress in a city
The citadel at Besançon towered above the river.
Synonyms
fortress,
keep,
tower,
stronghold,
bastion,
fortification,
fastness
in the sense of keep
Definition
the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress