What does postern mean?

Definitions for postern
ˈpoʊ stərn, ˈpɒs tərnpostern

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word postern.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. posternnoun

    a small gate in the rear of a fort or castle

Wiktionary

  1. posternnoun

    A back-gate, backdoor, side entrance, or other gateway distinct from the main entrance.

  2. posternnoun

    By extension, a separate or hidden way in or out of a place, situation etc.

  3. posternadjective

    Situated at the rear; posterior.

  4. Etymology: From posterna, and its likely sources, posterne, posterne, alteration of posterle, from posterula, from posterus.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Posternnoun

    A small gate; a little door.

    Etymology: poterne, Fr. posterne, Dutch; janua postica, Lat.

    E’re dawning light
    Discover’d had the world to heaven wide,
    He by a privy postern took his flight,
    That of no envious eyes he mote be spy’d. Fa. Queen.

    Go on, good Eglamour,
    Out at the postern by the abby wall. William Shakespeare.

    By broken bywayes did I inward pass,
    And in that window made a postern wide. Edward Fairfax.

    These issued into the base court through a privy postern, and sharply visited the assailants with halberds. John Hayward.

    Great Britain hath had by his majesty a strong addition; the postern, by which we were so often entered and surprised, is now made up. Walter Raleigh, Essays.

    The conscious priest, who was suborn’d before,
    Stood ready posted at the postern door. Dryden.

    If the nerves, which are the conduits to convey them from without to the audience in the brain, be so disordered, as not to perform their functions, they have no postern to be admitted by, no other ways to bring themselves into view. John Locke.

    A private postern opens to my gardens
    Through which the beauteous captive might remove. Nicholas Rowe.

Wikipedia

  1. Postern

    A postern is a secondary door or gate in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location which allowed the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing defenders to make a sortie on the besiegers. Placed in a less exposed, less visible location, they were usually relatively small, and therefore easily defensible.

ChatGPT

  1. postern

    A postern is a back or side entrance, typically a small, hidden, or less conspicuous door or gate in a wall or fortification such as a castle. It is often used for escape or tactical purposes.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Posternnoun

    originally, a back door or gate; a private entrance; hence, any small door or gate

  2. Posternnoun

    a subterraneous passage communicating between the parade and the main ditch, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks

  3. Posternadjective

    back; being behind; private

  4. Etymology: [OF. posterne, posterle, F. poterne, fr. L. posterula, fr. posterus coming after. See Posterior.]

Wikidata

  1. Postern

    A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing defenders to make a sortie on the besiegers.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Postern

    pōst′ėrn, n. a back door or gate: a small private door: (fort.) a covered passage between the main ditch and the outworks of a fort, usually closed by a gate.—adj. back: private. [O. Fr. posterne, posterle—L. posterula, a dim. from posterus.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. postern

    A small passage constructed through some retired part of a bastion, or other portion of a work, for the garrison's minor communications with the town, unperceived by the enemy.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. postern

    Is a passage usually vaulted, and constructed under the rampart, to afford a communication from the interior into the ditch. The passages from the covered way into the country are likewise called sally-ports, as they afford free egress and ingress to troops engaged in making a sally or sortie.

Matched Categories

Anagrams for postern »

  1. Preston

  2. reptons

How to pronounce postern?

How to say postern in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of postern in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of postern in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Popularity rank by frequency of use

postern#100000#229524#333333

Translations for postern

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for postern »

Translation

Find a translation for the postern definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"postern." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/postern>.

Discuss these postern definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for postern? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 quarts or 4.545 liters
    A congius
    B swag
    C anestrus
    D subrogation

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for postern: