FromMiddle Englishcastle,castel, from lateOld Englishcastel,castell(“a town, village, castle”), borrowed fromLate Latincastellum(“small camp, fort”), diminutive ofLatincastrum(“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”).Doublet ofcashel,castell,castellum, andchâteau.

Parallel borrowings (from Late Latin or Old French) areScotscastel,castell(“castle”),West Frisiankastiel(“castle”),Dutchkasteel(“castle”),GermanKastell(“castle”),Danishkastel(“citadel”),Swedishkastell(“citadel”),Icelandickastali(“castle”),Welshcastell.

The Middle English word was reinforced byAnglo-Norman/Old Northern Frenchcastel, itself from Late Latincastellum(“small camp, fort”) (compare modern Frenchchâteau from Old Frenchchastel). If Latincastrum(“camp, fort, citadel, stronghold”) is from Proto-Indo-European*kat-(“hut, shed”),Latincasa(“cottage, hut”) is related. Possibly related also toGothic𐌷𐌴𐌸𐌾𐍉(hēþjō,“chamber”),Old Englishheaþor(“restraint, confinement, enclosure, prison”). See alsocasino,cassock.

• (Received Pronunciation)enPR:käs'(ə)l,IPA^(key):/ˈkɑːsəl/,/kɑːsl̩/
• Rhymes:-ɑːsəl
• (US,Canada,Northern England,Victoria)enPR:kăs'(ə)l,IPA^(key):/ˈkæsəl/,/kæsl̩/
• Rhymes:-æsəl

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castle (pluralcastles)

2. A large residentialbuilding orcompound that isfortified and contains manydefences; in previous ages often inhabited by anobleman orking. Also, ahouse ormansion with some of the architectural features of medieval castles.
3. (chess) An instance ofcastling.
4. (chess,informal) Arook; achess piece shaped like a castletower.
5. (shogi) A defense structure inshogi formed by defensive pieces surrounding theking.
6. (obsolete) Aclose helmet.
   • 1786, Francis Grose,A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page12:

     Thecastle was perhaps a figurative name for a close headpiece deduced from its enclosing and defending the head, as a castle did the whole body; or a corruption from the Old French wordcasquetel, a small or light helmet.

7. (dated) Any strong, imposing, and statelypalace or mansion.
8. (dated) A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back.
9. (cricket,colloquial) Thewicket.
   • 1966, Gurdeep Singh,Cricket in Northern India, page59:

     Nay, he was quite an adept, and was very effective as a change bowler, for in no time he demolished thecastle of any batsman.

• For the chess piece, chess players prefer the termrook.

• (building):fortress

• (building):keep,motte and bailey

• (building):castellan(overseer);castellate,castellany(domain);incastle,castellate,incastellate(to make into a castle);castellate,castellated,incastled,incastellated(castle-like)

• → Tongan:kāsolo

• Appendix:Chess pieces

castle (third-person singular simple presentcastles,present participlecastling,simple past and past participlecastled)

1. (transitive) Tohouse orkeep in a castle.
   • 1611, John Florio,Queen Anna's New World of Words, s.v. "Castellare":

     ...to encastle, toCastle.

   • 1871,Robert Browning,Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Saviour of Society, section 116:

     ...Some fierce tribe,castled on the mountain-peak...

2. (transitive,figurative) Toprotect orseparate in asimilarway.
   • 1655, William Gurnall,The Christian in Compleat Armour, 1st Pt., 32:

     Castle me in thearmes of thy everlasting strength.

3. (obsolete) Tomake into a castle: tobuild in theform of a castle oradd (real orimitation)battlements to anexistingbuilding.
4. (usuallyintransitive,chess) Tomove theking 2squaresright orleft and, in thesameturn, thenearestrook to thefarside of theking. Themovenowhasspecialrules: thekingcannot be in,go through, orend incheck; thesquares between theking androokmust bevacant; andneitherpiecemayhave beenmoved beforecastling.
   • 1656, Gioachino Greco, translated by Francis Beale,The Royall Game of Chesse-Play, Being the Study of Biochimo, page 8:

     He [i.e., the king] may change (orCastle) with thisRooke, that is, he maygoe two draughts at once towards thisRooke... causing theRooke to stand next to him on either side.

   • 1835, William Lewis,Chess for Beginners,Ch. 5, p.24:

     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. (usuallyintransitive,shogi) Tocreate asimilardefensiveposition inJapanese chess throughseveralmoves.
6. (cricket) Tobowl abatsman with afull-lengthball oryorkersuch that thestumps areknocked over.
   • 2009, “Lightning Bolt Blows Over Gayle”, inBBC Sport:

     And the 23-year-old brought the crowd to their feet when hecastled Gayle's stumps, signalling the direction of the pavilion to his friend for good measure.

   • 2011, Firdose Moonda, “A Day for Missed Hat-tricks”, inESPNcricinfo:

     He bowled Vinay with a full, straight ball thatcastled off stump and then dished up a yorker that RP Singh backed away to and sent onto his stumps.

• (to house in a castle):castellate,incastellate
• (to make into a castle):Seefortify

• castle up,castle short,castle long

• CELTAs,Castel,cleats,eclats,sclate,éclats

castle

1. Alternative form ofcastel