a fortified, usually walled residence, as of a prince or noble in feudal times.
the chief and strongest part of the fortifications of a medieval city.
a strongly fortified, permanently garrisoned stronghold.
a large and stately residence, especially one, with high walls and towers, that imitates the form of a medieval castle.
any place providing security and privacy.
It may be small, but my home is my castle.
Chess. the rook.
to place or enclose in or as in a castle.
Chess. to move (the king) in castling.
to move the king two squares horizontally and bring the appropriate rook to the square the king has passed over.
(of the king) to be moved in this manner.
a fortified building or set of buildings, usually permanently garrisoned, as in medieval Europe
any fortified place or structure
a large magnificent house, esp when the present or former home of a nobleman or prince
the citadel and strongest part of the fortifications of a medieval town
chess another name for rook 2
before 1000; Middle English, Old English castel < Latin castellum castellum
A castle is a huge, grand home where a king or queen might live. Almost all castles are also fortified against attacks by enemy armies. Most castles were built in the Middle Ages by royalty or other nobility. You can still visit many historic castles in Europe, most of them built of stone and including details like towers and guardhouses. You can also call the chess piece known as a "rook" a castle, for its castle-like shape. The word has an Old English root, castel, or "village."
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A short walk up from the castle lies the quintessentially English town of Hadleigh.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
His mother Hannah Williams said he had asked her beforehand if the Queen "had a dragon in her castle".
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Israeli troops on Sunday seized the Beaufort castle, which commands sweeping views of south Lebanon.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
It’s a commanding perch that has made the castle a prize.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
It wasn't a castle, of course, just a simple country inn.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
