tower house

noun

: a medieval fortified castle (as in Scotland)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Its large tower house was typical of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries, with 18-foot-thick walls that slope inward for stability and defense. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2023 This was perhaps the prime stronghold of the shadowy medieval Conmaicne Mara, who gave Connemara their name, and who were all but wiped from record by the O’Flahertys, builders of the castle’s tower house. Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020 Today, the tower houses a somewhat underwhelming LED that flashes at five-second intervals. Sarah Feldberg, SFChronicle.com, 12 Sep. 2019 The central tower houses molten salts that can store the energy of that light for extended periods of time. Shweta Narayan, Smithsonian, 31 Aug. 2019 The irregular, four-story structure is topped by an open wooden tower housing a homemade statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Tom Noel, The Know, 25 Aug. 2019 Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire This five-story tower house may be recognizable to some as the backdrop from Helen Mirren’s film The Queen, with its romantic sprawling walls giving a real air of grandeur. Glasgow, USA TODAY, 13 June 2019 Made partially from local stone, the tower houses a 60-bell carillon that is played twice daily. New York Times, 16 Feb. 2018 The first level of the tower houses the Founder’s Room, which has antique furniture, a fireplace and a ceramic tile floor. Dewayne Bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, 21 Sep. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tower house.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tower house was in 1687

Dictionary Entries Near tower house

Cite this Entry

“Tower house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tower%20house. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

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