castle

1 of 2

noun

cas·​tle ˈka-səl How to pronounce castle (audio)
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

Illustration of castle

Illustration of castle
  • 1 fortified approach
  • 2 moat
  • 3 drawbridge
  • 4 ward
  • 5 angle tower
  • 6 donjon or keep
  • 7 chapel
  • 8 gallery

castle

2 of 2

verb

castled; castling ˈka-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce castle (audio)

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

Examples of castle in a Sentence

Noun Millionaires built their castles along the lake. the implacable attackers placed the castle under a prolonged siege
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The few attractions on offer at Willy’s Chocolate Experience included a bouncy castle and tables serving jelly beans and lemonade, according to Archibald and Sinclair. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Sleeping Bear Dunes is one such destination where sunbathing and sand castles are an everyday affair, and swims in aquamarine water offer a picturesque respite from the heat. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024 In one scene, Luchini sits on the throne in his floating castle and watches what looks like a giant, gyrating butt dance around to a three-piece jazz band. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 According to the exhibition, modern kawaii culture was born in 1914 when artist and illustrator Yumeji Takehisa opened a shop in downtown Tokyo selling accessories and stationery with Western motifs such as mushrooms and castles designed to appeal to schoolgirls. Zara Khan, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 The castle ruins sit in Pyrgos, the highest village in Santorini, and give you excellent views of the sunset and the rest of the island. Laura Hampson, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2024 Beyond the Love Bank the town offers other romantic interludes: ancient churches and castles; a 16th-century mine where the stuff of jewelry — gold and silver — was once extracted; and secluded forests. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 On Wednesday, Lego sold 30,000 copies of a Lego castle designed by a fan — the Mountain Fortress — earning him half a million dollars for his work. Sean Hollister, The Verge, 9 Feb. 2024 The checkpoint sits at a bridge over the Narva River, between two late-medieval castles. Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
For example, pawns could not move two squares on their first turn, and there was no similar rule for castling. Dylan Loeb McClain, New York Times, 27 May 2023 This is the real point of the combination as now Black will not be able to castle and White can pretty much at his leisure, build up an attack. Chris Chase, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2018 Now Black cannot castle kingside after Be3 and Qd2.) Michael Ciamarra, AL.com, 11 June 2017

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1587, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of castle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near castle

Cite this Entry

“Castle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castle. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

castle

noun
cas·​tle
ˈkas-əl
1
a
: a large building or group of buildings usually having high walls with towers and a surrounding moat for protection
b
: a large or impressive house
2
Etymology

Noun

Middle English castel "castle," from early French castel (same meaning), from Latin castellum "castle, fortress" — related to château

More from Merriam-Webster on castle

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