cas|tle

cas|tle «KAS uhl, KAHS-», noun, verb, -tled, -tling.

–n.

1. a) a large building or group of buildings with thick walls, turrets, battlements, and other defenses against attack: »

The knight rode over the drawbridge into the castle.

b) a palace that once had defenses against attack. c) a large and imposing residence. d) a pile of any kind, resembling or likened to a castle: »

a sand castle, a castle of cards.

2. Figurative. a stronghold or fortress: »

Shake not the castles of his pride (Charles Lamb). Every man's house is his castle (Sir Edward Coke).

3. one of the pieces in the game of chess, shaped like a tower; rook.

4. a small, wooden defensive tower, especially one on the back of an elephant.

5. a high structure on the deck of early ships, such as those used in northern Europe in the 1200's and 1300's.

–v.i.

in chess: a) to move the king from his own square two squares toward either corner and bring the rook from that corner to the square the king has passed over. b) (of the king) to be thus moved.

–v.t.

1. to place in or as if in a castle: »

Some fierce tribe, castled on the mountain peak (Robert Browning).

2. to move (the king) beyond the castle or rook in chess.

╂[< Old North French castel stronghold < Latin castellum castle (diminutive) < castrum fort. See etym. of doublet château. (Cf. ↑château)]

–cas´tle|like´, adjective.