castle

1 of 2

noun

cas·​tle ˈka-səl 

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

: rook entry 3

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 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• bastion
• citadel
• fastness
• fort
• fortification
• fortress
• hold
• redoubt
• stronghold

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 storybook castle was built more than 700 years ago by the knights of Chasteignier de la Roche-Posay. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 26 Feb. 2025

Eastern Europe Travelers are also showing more interest in Eastern Europe, especially Romania, Poland, and Hungary, where fairytale-esque towns and castles unfold. —Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

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

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

Phrases Containing castle

• bouncy castle
• castle doctrine
• castle in Spain
• castle in the air
• castle rule
• sand castle

Rhymes for castle

• facile
• gracile
• hassall
• hassle
• passel
• tassel
• vassal
• fluorouracil
• thiouracil
• forecastle
• uracil
• propylthiouracil

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

: rook entry 3

Etymology

Noun

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