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citadel

[ sit-uh-dl, -uh-del ]
/ ˈsɪt ə dl, -əˌdɛl /
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noun
a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.
any strongly fortified place; stronghold.
(formerly) a heavily armored structure on a warship, for protecting the engines, magazines, etc.
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Origin of citadel

1580–90; <Middle French citadelle<Old Italian cittadella, equivalent to cittad(e) city + -ella-elle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use citadel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for citadel

citadel
/ (ˈsɪtədəl, -ˌdɛl) /

noun
a stronghold within or close to a city
any strongly fortified building or place of safety; refuge
a specially strengthened part of the hull of a warship
(often capital) the headquarters of the Salvation Army

Word Origin for citadel

C16: from Old French citadelle, from Old Italian cittadella a little city, from cittade city, from Latin cīvitās
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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