definitions

postern

[ poh-stern, pos-tern ]
/ ˈpoʊ stərn, ˈpɒs tərn /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR postern ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a back door or gate.
a private entrance or any entrance other than the main one.

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a postern.

RELATED WORDS

reverse, backside, stern, posterior, extremity, tail, hind, rear, tailpiece, hindquarters, aft, hindmost

Nearby words

posterior vein of left ventricle, posterior vein of septum pellucidum, posteriority, posterity, posterization, postern, postero-, posteroanterior, posteroexternal, posteroinferior, posterointernal

Origin of postern

1250–1300; Middle English posterne < Old French, variant of posterle < Late Latin posterula, diminutive of postera back door, noun use of feminine of posterus coming behind. See posterior, -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for postern

British Dictionary definitions for postern

postern

/ (ˈpɒstən) /

noun

a back door or gate, esp one that is for private use

adjective

situated at the rear or the side

Word Origin for postern

C13: from Old French posterne, from Late Latin posterula (jānua) a back (entrance), from posterus coming behind; see posterior, posterity
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