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CASTLE
castle, castling
(noun) interchanging the positions of the king and a rook
castle
(noun) a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack
castle, rook
(noun) (chess) the piece that can move any number of unoccupied squares in a direction parallel to the sides of the chessboard
palace, castle
(noun) a large and stately mansion
castle
(verb) move the king two squares toward a rook and in the same move the rook to the square next past the king
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Proper noun
Castle
A surname referring to someone who lived in or worked in a castle
(UK, rail transport) Castle class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR
(UK, Durham University slang) University College, Durham, a constituent college located in Durham Castle
Anagrams
• CELTAs, Castel, cleats, eclats, sclate, Ă©clats
Etymology
Noun
castle (plural castles)
A large building that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king.
(chess) An instance of castling.
(chess, informal) A rook; a chess piece shaped like a castle tower.
(shogi) A defense structure in shogi formed by defensive pieces surrounding the king.
(obsolete) A close helmet.
(dated) Any strong, imposing, and stately mansion.
(dated) A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back.
(cricket, colloquial) The wicket.
Usage notes
For the chess piece, chess players prefer the term rook.
Synonyms
• (building): fortress
Hyponyms
• (building): keep, motte and bailey
Coordinate terms
• (building): castellan (overseer); castellate, castellany (domain); incastle, castellate, incastellate (to make into a castle); castellate, castellated, incastled, incastellated (castle-like)
Verb
castle (third-person singular simple present castles, present participle castling, simple past and past participle castled)
(transitive) To house or keep in a castle.
(transitive, figurative) To protect or separate in a similar way.
(obsolete) To make into a castle: to build in the form of a castle or add (real or imitation) battlements to an existing building.
(usually intransitive, chess) To move the king 2 squares right or left and, in the same turn, the nearest rook to the far side of the king. The move now has special rules: the king cannot be in, go through, or end in check; the squares between the king and rook must be vacant; and neither piece may have been moved before castling.
(usually intransitive, shogi) To create a similar defensive position in Japanese chess through several moves.
(cricket) To bowl a batsman with a full-length ball or yorker such that the stumps are knocked over.
Synonyms
• (to house in a castle): castellate, incastellate
• (to make into a castle): See fortify
Anagrams
• CELTAs, Castel, cleats, eclats, sclate, Ă©clats
Source: Wiktionary
Cas"tle, n. Etym: [AS. castel, fr. L. castellum, dim. of castrum a fortified place, castle.]
1. A fortified residence, especially that of a prince or nobleman; a fortress. The house of every one is to him castle and fortress, as well for his defense againts injury and violence, as for his repose. Coke. Our castle's strength Will laugh a siege to scorn. Shak.
Note: Originally the mediæval castle was a single strong tower or keep, with a palisaded inclosure around it and inferior buidings, such as stables and the like, and surrounded by a moat; then such a keep or donjon, with courtyards or baileys and accessory buildings of greater elaboration a great hall and a chapel, all surrounded by defensive walls and a moat, with a drawbridge, etc. Afterwards the name was retained by large dwellings that had formerly been fortresses, or by those which replaced ancient fortresses. A Donjon or Keep, an irregular building containing the dwelling of the lord and his family; B C Large round towers ferming part of the donjon and of the exterior; D Square tower, separating the two inner courts and forming part of the donjon; E Chapel, whose apse forms a half-round tower, F, on the exterior walls; G H Round towers on the exterior walls; K Postern gate, reached from outside by a removable fight of steps or inclined plane for hoisting in stores, and leading to a court, L (see small digagram) whose pavement is on a level with the sill of the postern, but below the level of the larger court, with which it communicates by a separately fortified gateway; M Turret, containing spiral stairway to all the stories of the great tower, B, and serving also as a station for signal fire, banner, etc.; N Turret with stairway for tower, C; O Echauguettes; P P P Battlemants consisting of merlons and crenels alternately, the merlons being pierced by loopholes; Q Q Machicolations (those at Q defend the postern K); R Outwork defending the approach, which is a road ascending the hill and passing under all four faces of the castle; S S Wall of the outer bailey. The road of approach enters the bailey at T and passes thence into the castle by the main entrance gateway (which is in the wall between, and defended by the towers, C H) and over two drawbridges and through fortified passages to the inner court.
2. Any strong, imposing, and stately mansion.
3. A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back.
4. A piece, made to represent a castle, used in the game of chess; a rook. Castle in the air, a visionary project; a baseless scheme; an air castle; -- sometimes called a castle in Spain (F. Château en Espagne).
Syn.
– Fortress; fortification; citadel; stronghold. See Fortress.
Cas"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Castled (. p. pr. & vb. n. Castling.] (Chess)
Definition: To move the castle to the square next to king, and then the king around the castle to the square next beyond it, for the purpose of covering the king.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
3 May 2025
DESIRABLE
(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”
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