%astle%

n. [ AS. castel, fr. L. castellum, dim. of castrum a fortified place, castle. ] 1. A fortified residence, especially that of a prince or nobleman; a fortress. [ 1913 Webster ]

The house of every one is to him castle and fortress, as well for his defense againts injury and violence, as for his repose. Coke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our castle's strength
Will laugh a siege to scorn. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Originally the mediæval castle was a single strong tower or keep, with a palisaded inclosure around it and inferior buidings, such as stables and the like, and surrounded by a moat; then such a keep or donjon, with courtyards or baileys and accessory buildings of greater elaboration a great hall and a chapel, all surrounded by defensive walls and a moat, with a drawbridge, etc. Afterwards the name was retained by large dwellings that had formerly been fortresses, or by those which replaced ancient fortresses.

A Donjon or Keep, an irregular building containing the dwelling of the lord and his family; B C Large round towers ferming part of the donjon and of the exterior; D Square tower, separating the two inner courts and forming part of the donjon; E Chapel, whose apse forms a half-round tower, F, on the exterior walls; G H Round towers on the exterior walls; K Postern gate, reached from outside by a removable fight of steps or inclined plane for hoisting in stores, and leading to a court, L (see small digagram) whose pavement is on a level with the sill of the postern, but below the level of the larger court, with which it communicates by a separately fortified gateway; M Turret, containing spiral stairway to all the stories of the great tower, B, and serving also as a station for signal fire, banner, etc.; N Turret with stairway for tower, C; O Echauguettes; P P P Battlemants consisting of merlons and crenels alternately, the merlons being pierced by loopholes; Q Q Machicolations (those at Q defend the postern K); R Outwork defending the approach, which is a road ascending the hill and passing under all four faces of the castle; S S Wall of the outer bailey. The road of approach enters the bailey at T and passes thence into the castle by the main entrance gateway (which is in the wall between, and defended by the towers, C H) and over two drawbridges and through fortified passages to the inner court.

[ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any strong, imposing, and stately mansion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A small tower, as on a ship, or an elephant's back. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A piece, made to represent a castle, used in the game of chess; a rook. [ 1913 Webster ]

Castle in the air, a visionary project; a baseless scheme; an air castle; -- sometimes called a castle in Spain (F. Château en Espagne).

Syn. -- Fortress; fortification; citadel; stronghold. See Fortress. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Castled p. pr. & vb. n. Castling ] (Chess) To move the castle to the square next to king, and then the king around the castle to the square next beyond it, for the purpose of covering the king. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Fig.: one who builds castles in the air or forms visionary schemes.

-- Cas"tle*build`ing, n. [1913 Webster]

a. Having a castle or castles; supporting a castle; as, a castled height or crag. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fortified; turreted; as, castled walls. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The guard or defense of a castle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (O. Eng. Law) A tax or imposition an a dwelling within a certain distance of a castle, for the purpose of maintaining watch and ward in it; castle-ward. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A feudal tenure, obliging the tenant to perform service within the realm, without limitation of time. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. castelerie. See Castle. ] The government of a castle. Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small castle. Leland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Castleguard. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) (a) A short upper deck forward, formerly raised like a castle, to command an enemy's decks. (b) That part of the upper deck of a vessel forward of the foremast, or of the after part of the fore channels. (c) In merchant vessels, the forward part of the vessel, under the deck, where the sailors live. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See 1st Mast. ] Bearing no mast; as, a mastless oak or beech. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See 2d Mast. ] Having no mast; as, a mastless vessel. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A town in England. [ PJC ]

Carry coals to Newcastle to do something utterly superfluous; to do something useless or wasteful; -- from the nearness of Newcastle to the coal-mining district. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + castle. ] To take a castle from; to turn out of a castle. [ 1913 Webster ]