castle
Pluralcastles
Verbcastles, castling, castled
Pluralcastles
Formscastles, castling, castled
- 1A large, strong building with thick walls and towers, where kings or lords lived long ago.
Like a giant stone fort that a whole town could hide inside.
The old castle on the hill had thick stone walls and a deep moat.
Soldiers defended the castle for months during the long siege.
Similarfortress, stronghold
- 2In chess, another name for the rook, the piece shaped like a small tower.
He moved his castle straight across the empty row.
Her castle captured the bishop in the corner.
UsageIn chess books, this piece is called a rook.
Similarrook
Note
- 3In chess, to move your king two squares toward a rook and swing that rook to the king's far side.
Like quickly hiding your most important player behind a wall of guards.
She decided to castle early to keep her king safe.
If you castle on the kingside, your rook ends up right beside the king.
UsageSay castle on the kingside or queenside.
Note
Less common meanings
- 4In chess, the act of castling: bringing the king to safety beside a rook in one move.
An early castle put her king safely in the corner.
His castle on the queenside surprised his opponent.
UsageMost players call this move castling.
Note
- 5
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- 7
- 8To build something like a castle, or add castle-like walls to a building.
Note
- 9An old kind of fully enclosed helmet that covered the whole head.
Note
- 10To protect someone by keeping them shut away, like inside strong walls.
Castle me in the armes of thy everlasting strength.
1655, William Gurnall, The Christian in Compleat Armour - 11To keep a person or thing inside a castle.
- 12In Japanese chess (shogi), a wall of pieces placed around the king to protect it.
- 13In Japanese chess (shogi), to build a wall of pieces around your king over several moves.
Showing meanings only.
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Origin
It comes from Latin "castellum," meaning a small fort, which was a smaller form of Latin "castrum," a camp or stronghold. It reached English through Old English and Anglo-Norman French.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Castle derives from Latin castellum, a diminutive meaning a small fort. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin castrum denotes a stronghold or fort and, chiefly in the plural, a camp. en.wiktionary.org
- The English word came through Old English with reinforcement from Anglo-Norman French. en.wiktionary.org