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postern

[ poh-stern, pos-tern ]
/ ˈpoʊ stərn, ˈpɒs tərn /
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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 septum pellucidum, posteriority, posteriorly, 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

Word Origin and History for postern

postern

n.

late 13c., "back door, private door," from Old French posterne "side or rear gate," earlier posterle, from Late Latin posterula "small back door or gate," diminutive of Latin posterus "that is behind, coming after, subsequent," from post "after" (see post-).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper