castle

noun cas·tle \ ˈka-səl \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of castle

1 a : a large fortified building or set of buildings

b : a massive or imposing house

2 : a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion

3 : ³rook

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Examples of castle in a Sentence

Millionaires built their castles along the lake.
the implacable attackers placed the castle under a prolonged siege

Recent Examples of castle from the Web

Croy does double duty as brothers Duke Frederick (mean, pacing around the castle) and Duke Senior (sweet, banished to the forest).

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "A Likable "As You Like It" At CT Rep," 23 Apr. 2018
The projection will also require as many as 30 projectors and cost a total of nearly 1 million euros, a significant financial commitment the castle doesn’t currently have.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Never Realized 17th-Century Fresco Will Be Digitally Recreated at French Château," 30 Mar. 2018
The creation does not have to be a castle so let your imagination run free.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Build something cool out of food for Boise Rescue Mission Ministries | Idaho Statesman," 19 Mar. 2018
But last fall, a new female ruler emerged in Chicago and by the end of the year, a queen will reign in each castle, having taken over for her late father in the fictional performance.

— abby gardner, Glamour, "Long Live the Queen: #MeToo Comes to Medieval Times," 30 Jan. 2018
The hotel, formerly the Buffalo Asylum for the Insane, is a historic, castle-like structure that was abandoned after the asylum closed in the 1970s.

— jenna milliner-waddell, ELLE Decor, "Hotel Henry Is A New Boutique Hotel With A Storied Past," 5 Oct. 2017
The five-bedroom, 4,364-square-foot house modeled after a French castle was originally built for oilman Ed Cox in 1929, and served as the primary residence of Dallas mayor R.L. Thornton and his family until the 1970s.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "Live Like a Royal: Take a Peek Inside This Historic Dallas Castle," 27 Apr. 2018
Smaller storybook windows with colorful panes dot the upper levels of the school, giving it a castle-like feel.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Whimsical school design blends nature with learning," 27 Apr. 2018
Worth it for whom? Why continue defending a castle when it has been breached and broken?

— nick moyle, San Antonio Express-News, "Commission on College Basketball misses the mark," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'castle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of castle

Origin and Etymology of castle

Middle English castel, from Old English, from Old French & Latin; Old French dialect (Norman-Picard) castel, from Latin castellum fortress, diminutive of castrum fortified place; perhaps akin to Latin castrare to castrate

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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castle Synonyms

Synonyms

château, estate, hacienda, hall, manor, manor house, manse, mansion, palace, villa;

Related Words

showplace;

abode, domicile, dwelling, habitation, hearth, home, house, lodging(s), pad, place;

housing, nest, quarter(s), residency, roof;

great house;

country house, countryseat;

aerie, penthouse;

salon, suite, town house;

castle

verb

Definition of castle

castled; castling play \ˈka-s(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to establish in a castle

2 : to move (the chess king) in castling

intransitive verb

: to move a chess king two squares toward a rook and in the same move the rook to the square next past the king

Recent Examples of castle from the Web

After your tour, strip to your bathing suit and spend the rest of the day swimming, sand-castling, and sunning.

— hadley meares, Los Angeles Magazine, "10 Historic L.A. Places to Visit on a Sunny Day," 14 May 2018
Now Black cannot castle kingside after Be3 and Qd2.)

— michael ciamarra, AL.com, "Alabama's rising chess star Arden Markin, tournament prize winners," 11 June 2017
Jasper Hall of Fame Classic Lake Central 15, Castle 2 Castle 100 01 — 2 6 2 Lake Central 058 2x — 15 7 0 WP: Zack Dobbs 5 IP, 5 SO. Lake Central 10, Jasper 3 Lake Central 204 102 1 — 10 8 2 Jasper 011 010 0 — 3 6 3 WP: Jason Lamont 5 IP, 4 SO.

— Post-Tribune, "Post-Tribune Local Scoreboard for Sunday, May 14," 13 May 2017

First Known Use of castle

1587

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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CASTLE Defined for English Language Learners

castle

noun

Definition of castle for English Language Learners

: a large building usually with high, thick walls and towers that was built in the past to protect against attack
: a large expensive house
: a piece in the game of chess that looks like a castle tower