/sha toh"/ ; Fr. /shah toh"/ , n. , pl. châteaus, châteaux /-tohz"/ ; Fr. /-toh"/ .
1. (in France) a castle or fortress.
2. a stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle.
3. a country estate, esp. a fine one, in France or elsewhere on the Continent.
4. ( often cap. ) a winegrower's estate, esp. in the Bordeaux region of France: often used as part of the name of a wine.
Also, chateau .
[ 1730-40; castellum CASTELLUM ]