I. ˈkasəl, -ˈaa-, -ˈai-, -ˈȧ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English castel, from Old English, from Old North French & Late Latin; Old North French castel castle and Late Latin castellum village, from Latin castellum castle, diminutive of castrum fortified place; akin to Latin castrare to castrate — more at castrate
1.
a. : a large fortified building or set of buildings (as of a prince or nobleman) built originally in medieval times as a single donjon often surrounded by inferior buildings (as stables), a palisaded enclosure, and a moat and later often having more elaborate accessory buildings (as a great hall and a chapel), courtyards, surrounding defensive walls, and a drawbridge over the moat
b. : a large dwelling that has served as a fortress
c. : a large dwelling that has replaced a fortress
d. : a large building ; especially : a massive or imposing house or mansion
2. : a retreat or stronghold safe against intrusion or invasion
a man's house is his castle
3. : a raised structure on the deck of an early sailing ship or galley
4. : rook III
5.
[translation of Dutch kasteel castle, stronghold]
: a fortified place or village of an Indian tribe in the northeastern United States
6. : a heraldic representation of a castle or of a portion of an embattled wall often having a gateway and crowned with usually three towers
7. : castle in the air — usually used in plural
II. verb
( castled ; castled ; castling -s(ə)liŋ ; castles )
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to enclose (as a water conduit) in stone walls
2. : to establish in a secure position in or as if in a castle
castled up in his mountain retreat
3. chess : to move (the king) in castling
intransitive verb
: to move the king two squares toward a rook and then, in the same move, the rook to the square next past the king ; also of the king : to be moved in this way — usually designated in notation by 0-0 (king's side) or 0-0-0 (queen's side)