Definitions for Castle
ˈkæs əl, ˈkɑ səlcas·tle

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. palace, castlenoun

   a large and stately mansion

2. castlenoun

   a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack

3. castle, rooknoun

   (chess) the piece that can move any number of unoccupied squares in a direction parallel to the sides of the chessboard

4. castle, castlingverb

   interchanging the positions of the king and a rook

5. castleverb

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. castlenoun

   A large building that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king.

2. castlenoun

   A chess piece shaped like a castle tower which is also called a rook.

3. castlenoun

   A close helmet.

4. castleverb

   To perform the move of castling.

5. castleverb

   To bowl a batsman with a full-length ball or yorker such that the stumps are knocked over.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CASTLEnoun

   Etymology: castellum, Lat.

   1. A strong house, fortified against assaults.

   The castle of Macduff I will surprise. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements,
   And castles. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   2. Castles in the air. [ chateaux d’Espagne, Fr.] Projects without reality.

   These were but like castles in the air, and in men’s fancies vainly imagined. Walter Raleigh, History of the World.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Castle

   A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; from a pleasance which was a walled-in residence for nobility, but not adequately fortified; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Use of the term has varied over time and has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th- and 20th-century homes built to resemble castles. Over the approximately 900 years when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls, arrowslits, and portcullises, were commonplace. European-style castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, after the fall of the Carolingian Empire resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. These nobles built castles to control the area immediately surrounding them and the castles were both offensive and defensive structures; they provided a base from which raids could be launched as well as offered protection from enemies. Although their military origins are often emphasised in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local populace and important travel routes, and rural castles were often situated near features that were integral to life in the community, such as mills, fertile land, or a water source. Many northern European castles were originally built from earth and timber, but had their defences replaced later by stone. Early castles often exploited natural defences, lacking features such as towers and arrowslits and relying on a central keep. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to the proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire. Many new castles were polygonal or relied on concentric defence – several stages of defence within each other that could all function at the same time to maximise the castle's firepower. These changes in defence have been attributed to a mixture of castle technology from the Crusades, such as concentric fortification, and inspiration from earlier defences, such as Roman forts. Not all the elements of castle architecture were military in nature, so that devices such as moats evolved from their original purpose of defence into symbols of power. Some grand castles had long winding approaches intended to impress and dominate their landscape. Although gunpowder was introduced to Europe in the 14th century, it did not significantly affect castle building until the 15th century, when artillery became powerful enough to break through stone walls. While castles continued to be built well into the 16th century, new techniques to deal with improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable and undesirable places to live. As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery forts with no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible. From the 18th century onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock castles, part of a romantic revival of Gothic architecture, but they had no military purpose.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. castle

   A castle is a large, fortified building or a group of buildings, typically of the medieval period, featuring high walls, towers, and often a moat. They were originally built by royalty or nobility for protection or control over a region, and often served as centers of administration, military operations, or residences.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Castlenoun

   a fortified residence, especially that of a prince or nobleman; a fortress

2. Castlenoun

   any strong, imposing, and stately mansion

3. Castlenoun

   a small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back

4. Castlenoun

   a piece, made to represent a castle, used in the game of chess; a rook

5. Castleverb

   to move the castle to the square next to king, and then the king around the castle to the square next beyond it, for the purpose of covering the king

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Castle

   A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace. A European innovation, castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, after the fall of the Carolingian Empire resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. These nobles built castles to control the area immediately surrounding them, and were both offensive and defensive structures; they provided a base from which raids could be launched as well as protection from enemies. Although their military origins are often emphasised in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local populace and important travel routes, and rural castles were often situated near features that were integral to life in the community, such as mills and fertile land.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Castle

   kas′l, n. a fortified house or fortress: the residence of a prince or nobleman, or a large country mansion generally: anything built in the likeness of such: a defensive tower borne on an elephant's back: a large ship, esp. of war.—v.t. to enclose or fortify with a castle.—v.i. (chess) to bring the castle or rook up to the square next the king, and move the king to the other side of the castle.—n. Cas′tellan, governor or captain of a castle.—adj. Cas′tellated, having turrets and battlements like a castle.—n. Cas′tle-build′ing, the act of building castles in the air or forming visionary projects.—adj. Cas′tled, furnished with castles.—n. Cas′tle-guard, the guard for the defence of a castle.—Castles in the air, or in Spain, groundless or visionary projects.—The Castle, Dublin Castle, the seat of the viceroy and the executive—Castle influence, &c. [A.S. castel—L. castellum, dim. of castrum, a fortified place.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. castle

   A place strong by art or nature, or by both. A sort of little citadel. (See FORECASTLE, AFT-CASTLE, &c.)

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. castle

   A name given to a building constructed as a dwelling, as well as for the purpose of repelling attack. The name is especially given to buildings of this kind constructed in Europe in the Middle Ages, and which were generally surrounded by a moat, foss, or ditch.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. castle

   The castle symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the castle symbol and its characteristic.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Castle

   An inn sign denoting a wine-house, from the castle in the arms of Spain.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CASTLE

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Castle is ranked #1744 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Castle surname appeared 20,534 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 would have the surname Castle.
   
   88% or 18,078 total occurrences were White.
   6.7% or 1,384 total occurrences were Black.
   2.6% or 542 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.6% or 331 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   0.5% or 121 total occurrences were Asian.
   0.3% or 78 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Matched Categories

1. • Chess
   • Fortification
   • Mansion
   • Move

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Castle' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2134

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Castle' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4790

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Castle' in Nouns Frequency: #875

Anagrams for Castle »

1. cleats

2. sclate

How to pronounce Castle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Castle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Castle in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Castle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of Castle in a Sentence

1. Clare Boothe Luce:

   A man's home may seem to be his castle on the outside; inside, it is more often his nursery.

2. Justice Joseph Story:

   This provision (the 4th Amendment) speaks for itself. Its plain object is to secure the perfect enjoyment of that great right of the common law, that a man's house shall be his own castle, privileged against all civil and military intrusion.

3. John Bunyan:

   There was a castle called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair.

4. Buckingham Palace:

   The couple are delighted to announce an opportunity for 1,200 people from across the United Kingdom to be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle to share the experience of their special day, the attendees will view the arrival of the congregation and Members of the Royal Family, listen to a live broadcast of the Marriage Service and watch as the Bride and Groom depart St. George’s Chapel at the end of the ceremony. The newly married couple will then undertake a short carriage procession through part of Windsor High Street. The carriage will process through the grounds of Windsor Castle, departing via Castle Hill to proceed along part of the High Street before returning to the Castle via Cambridge Gate.

5. Olivia Mason:

   There is so much history throughout the trail, of course including Petra, but also sites such as Ajloun Castle, Karak Castle and Iraq Al Amir, but the culture, too, shines, whether through the homestays where local food is always eaten or people that always welcome you into their home.

Popularity rank by frequency of use