English
castle
see also: Castle
Pronunciation
  • (RP) enPR: käs'(ə)l, IPA: /ˈkɑːsəl/, /kɑːsl̩/
  • (America, Canada, Northern England) enPR: kăs'(ə)l, IPA: /ˈkæsəl/, /kæsl̩/
Noun

castle (plural castles)

  1. A large building that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king.
  2. (chess) An instance of castling.
  3. (chess, informal) A rook; a chess piece shaped like a castle tower.
  4. (shogi) A defense structure in shogi formed by defensive pieces surrounding the king.
  5. (obsolete) A close helmet.
  6. (dated) Any strong, imposing, and stately mansion.
  7. (dated) A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back.
  8. (cricket, colloquial) The wicket.
    • 1966, Gurdeep Singh, Cricket in Northern India (page 59)
      Nay, he was quite an adept, and was very effective as a change bowler, for in no time he demolished the castle of any batsman.
Synonyms Related terms Translations Verb

castle (castles, present participle castling; past and past participle castled)

  1. (transitive) To house or keep in a castle.
    • 1611, John Florio, Queen Anna's New World of Words, s.v. "Castellare":
      ...to encastle, to Castle.
    • 1871, Robert Browning, "Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Saviour of Society", 116:
      ...Some fierce tribe, castled on the mountain-peak...
  2. (transitive, figurative) To protect or separate in a similar way.
    • 1655, William Gurnall, The Christian in Compleat Armour, 1st Pt., 32:
      Castle me in the armes of thy everlasting strength.
  3. (obsolete) To make into a castle: to build in the form of a castle or add (real or imitation) battlements to an existing building.
    • c. 1386, Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, "The Parson's Tale":
      ...Bake metes and dish metes... peynted and castelled with papir...
  4. (usually intransitive, chess) To move the king 2 squares right or left and, in the same turn, the nearest rook to the far side of the king. The move now has special rules: the king cannot be in, go through, or end in check; the squares between the king and rook must be vacant; and neither piece may have been moved before castling.
    • 1656, Francis Beale translating Gioachino Greco as The Royall Game of Chesse-Play, Being the Study of Biochimo, p. 8:
      He [i.e., the king] may change (or Castle) with this Rooke, that is, he may goe two draughts at once towards this Rooke... causing the Rooke to stand next to him on either side.
    • 1835, William Lewis, Chess for Beginners, Ch. 5, p. gbooks nvdk1RMcGl4C:
      No. 24. ¶ If your adversary make a false move, castle improperly, &c., you must take notice of such irregularity before you move, or even touch a piece, or you are no longer allowed to inflict any penalties.
  5. (usually intransitive, shogi) To create a similar defensive position in Japanese chess through several moves.
  6. (cricket) To bowl a batsman with a full-length ball or yorker such that the stumps are knocked over.
    • 2009, BBC Sport, "Lightning Bolt Blows Over Gayle ↗":
      And the 23-year-old brought the crowd to their feet when he castled Gayle's stumps, signalling the direction of the pavilion to his friend for good measure.
    • 2011, Firdose Moonda, ESPNcricinfo, "A Day for Missed Hat-tricks ↗":
      He bowled Vinay with a full, straight ball that castled off stump and then dished up a yorker that RP Singh backed away to and sent onto his stumps.
Synonyms Translations
  • French: roquer
  • German: rochieren
  • Portuguese: rocar
  • Russian: рокирова́ться
  • Spanish: enrocarse
Castle
Proper noun
  1. Surname referring to someone who lived in or worked in a castle
  2. (UK, rail transport) Castle class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR
  3. (UK, Durham University slang) University College, Durham, a constituent college located in Durham Castle


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