▪ I. castle, n.
(ˈkɑːs(ə)l, -æ-)
Forms: 1–6 castel, (4 castill, caastel, kastell, castele, 4–5 castelle), 4–7 castell, (5 castylle, -ille, caystelle), 6– castle.
[Taken into Eng. at two different times: (1) bef. 1000, castel neut. (pl. castel(l, castelu), ad. L. castell-um in the Vulgate, rendering κώµη ‘village’ of the Greek; (2) c 1050–1070 castel masc. (pl. castelas) a. ONF. castel (mod.F. château) ‘castle’:—L. castellum in sense ‘fort, fortress’. (Under the influence of this, castel village also became masc. by 12th c.) L. castellum was dim. of castrum fort; for the later sense ‘village’ Du Cange quotes an ancient glossary ‘Castellum, municipium, κώµη’; compare the later use of castrum, castra for ‘town’: cf. chester.]
I. From Latin.
† 1. Used to render L. castellum of the Vulgate (Gr. κώµη), village. Obs.
This continued in Bible translations and quotations till the 16th c., but was probably often understood in sense 3. Thus the author of Cursor Mundi evidently thought that Bethany ‘the castel of Mary and her sister Martha, was like the castle of an English feudal lord.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxi. 2 Farað on þæt castel [Hatton to þam castelle]. Ibid. Mark vi. 6 He þa castel be-ferde. Ibid. Luke ix. 12 Þæt hiᵹ farun on þas castelu & on þas tunas [Hatton on þas castelles]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 3 Goð in þane castel. a 1300 Cursor M. 14132 Þis lazarus..Had sisters..A castel was bath his and þairs. 138. Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 197 Jesus wente aboute..boþ to more places and lesse, as citees and castellis..Castels ben undirstonden litil touns. 1382 ― Luke xix. 30 Go ȝe in to the castel, which is aȝens ȝou. 1515 W. de Worde Inform. Pylgrymes E vij, Fro Kames is xij myles to the castell of Emaus. a 1564 Becon Christ's Chron. (1844) 547 He entered into a certain castle, where a certain woman called Martha made him a dinner. |
† 2. pl. Used to render L.
castra camp.
Obs.| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxvii. 28 In mid þar kastelles fellen þai. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxvi. 5 If castels be set agaynes me..Kastels are conspiracyons of oure foes. 1388 Wyclif Lev. xxiv. 14 Lede out the blasfemere without the castels [1382 tentis]. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 58/2 The Angel of god wente to fore the castellis of Israhel. |
II. From French.
3. a. A large building or set of buildings fortified for defence against an enemy; a fortress, stronghold. Retained as a name for large mansions or country houses, which were formerly feudal castles, but not, like F.
château, transferred to this sense.
| a 1075 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1048 Þa hæfdon þa welisce men ᵹewroht ænne castel on Herefordscire. Ibid. an. 1069 Se eorl Walðeof..and Eadgar æðeling..þa castelas ᵹewunnan. a 1154 Ibid. an. 1140 He beset heom til hi aiauen up here castles. a 1225 Ancr. R. 62 Þeo hwile þæt me..wiðuten asaileð þene castel. 1297 R. Glouc (1810) 540 Tho the barons adde the toun, and the castel the king. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 477 A castel al of lime and ston. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 184 Of this castell was castellaine Elda the kinges chamberlaine. 1424 Paston Lett. I. 15 At the comyng of..the Duc of Norfolk fro his Castell of Framyngham. 1584 D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 3 The cities, townes, Castels and villages. 1597 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. iii. 52 This castles tatter'd battlements. 1611 Bible 1 Chron. xi. 7 Dauid dwelt in the castell. 1638 Duke of Hamilton in H. Papers (1880) 12 Itt is imposabill to put ani of itt in to Ed[in]bur[gh] Castell. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) I. 496 The old castle of Pisa. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 72 New men prove an overmatch for the landowner, and the mill buys out the castle. Mod. The Round Tower of Windsor Castle. Dover Castle is still a fortress. |
b. A model or similitude of a castle, made in any material; a castle-like pile of anything. (Applied by boys to four cherry-stones placed like a pyramid.)
| 1627 Massinger Gt. Duke Flor. iv. ii, Sit down and eat some sugar-plums. Here's a castle Of march-pane too. 1641 G. Cavendish's Life Wolsey in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793) 103 The officers brought into the house a casteel of fine manchet. Mod. The whole collapsed like a castle of cards. |
c. Loosely applied to a large building.
| 1886 Pall Mall G. 10 Aug. 10/2 The Duchess of Teck..opened a ‘Babies' Castle’ at Hawkhurst yesterday, in connection with Dr. Barnardo's homes. |
d. the Castle, in reference to Ireland, means specifically
Dublin Castle, as the seat of the vice-regal court and administration; hence, in politics, the authority centred at Dublin Castle, the officials who administer the government of Ireland. Also
attrib. as in
Castle influence,
Castle government, etc. So also
Castleism, the officialism of Dublin Castle.
| 1735 Mrs. Sican in Swift's Lett. (1768) IV. 129 Our Irish ladies made a fine appearance the birth-day at the castle. c 1795 Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 321 The constant meddling of the bishops and the clergy with the Castle, and of the Castle with them, will infallibly set them ill with their own body. 1800 Grattan Speech in Irish Ho. Comm. 5 Feb., Whether you will go, with the Castle at your head, to the tomb of Charlemont..and erase his epitaph. 1813 O'Connell Speech 24 Dec., A newspaper in the pay of the Castle. 1843 Madden United Irishm. II. xvii. 367 Hired spies, informers, and witnesses kept in the pay of the Castle. 1880 A. M. Sullivan New Irel. xxii. 267 The Castle raised a petty squabble with the prison board as to the expense. 1887 Pall Mall G. 22 Sept. 4/1 So long as the whole machinery of Castle government is..anti-popular..such elements of popular government as exist will be anti-Castle. 1887 R. Wallace Sp. Ho. Comm. 7 June, The unauthorised tyranny which was the animating spirit of Dublin Castleism. |
e. Phrase.
an (English)man's house his castle.
| [1567 W. Stanford Plees del Coron 14 b, Ma meason est a moy come mon castel hors de quel le ley ne moy arta a fuer.] 1588 W. Lambarde Eiren. ii. vii. 257 Our law calleth a man's house, his castle, meaning that he may defend himselfe therein. 1600–16 Coke 5 Rep. 91 b, The house of every man is to him as his Castle and Fortresse, as well for his defence against injury and violence, as for his repose. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 73 The house is a castle which the King cannot enter. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. vii. 128 An Englishman's house is his castle. |
f. A heap of brushwood or sticks under which rabbits hide when being hunted.
| 1898 Encycl. Sport Mar. 175/1 The whole space is laid out in lines of some 20 to 30 yards in breadth, marked out by heaps of sticks or brushwood euphemistically termed ‘castles’. Ibid. 175/2 When three or more residents turn out together from the same ‘castle’, and perchance bolt backwards, then complications ensue. |
g. Cricket. The wicket a batsman defends.
| 1959 I. Peebles in Sunday Times 31 May 38/3 In support came..Alfie Hall..with a low action which ensured his hitting the castle. 1960 ― Bowler's Turn 59, I..knocked..Robinson's castle down first ball. |
4. fig. (or
allegorical). ‘Stronghold, fortress’.
| c 1300 Cursor M. 9881 Þis castel es o luue and grace. c 1320 (title), Her byginet a tretys Þat is yclept Castel off loue. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 64 Suffisaunce is a castell that kepeth wyse men from euyl werkis. 1533 Elyot (title), The Castel of Helth. 1551 Recorde (title), The Castle of Knowledge. 1783 Cowper Task v. 525 Seeing the old castle of the state so assail'd. 1823 Lamb Elia Ser. i. xxvi. (1865) 211 Shake not the castles of his pride. |
5. poet. or
rhetorical for: A large ship (
esp. of war); usually with some attribute.
| 1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 46 Great Britaine..having so many invincible castles in motion (I meane Her Ships). 1695 Blackmore Pr. Arth. v. 224 The floating Castles dance upon the Tide. 1821 Shelley Hellas 24 Our winged-castles [fly] from their merchant ships. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits viii. Wks. (Bohn) II. 63 These sea-kings may take once again to their floating castles. |
6. a. A small wooden tower used for defence in warfare; a tower borne on the back of an elephant.
| c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3252 To þe castel þat was ymad of treo al þat host he broȝte. c 1400 Mandeville xviii. 191 The Castelles of Tree..that craftily ben sett up on the Olifantes Bakkes, for to fyghten aȝen hire Enemyes. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xxiv. 77 The girdell that helde vp the castell vpon theyre backes. 1503 Hawes Examp. Virt. ix. 167 Syttynge in a castell..On an olyphauntes backe. 1843 Macaulay Proph. of Capys xxiv, The beast on whom the Castle With all its guards doth stand. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. 624 The temporary towers..used in the military art of the time..sometimes called castles. |
b. A tower in general.
| 1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 77 There is a Castle in the grand Caire in Egypt called the Niloscope, where there stands a Pillar. |
7. Naut. A tower or elevated structure on the deck of a ship.
Cf. forecastle.
Obs.| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3617 The toppe-castelles he stuffede with toyelys. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 27 The helme and the castelle also wille I [Noah] take. 1521 Eden Decades W. Ind. i. iii. (Arb.) 76 The watche men lokinge owte of the toppe castell of the shyppe. 1611 Cotgr., Gaillard, the round house, or hinder castle, of a ship. |
8. Applied (in proper names) to ancient British or Roman earthworks, as
Abbotsbury Castle between Weymouth and Bridport,
Maiden Castle at Dorchester,
Round Castle near Oxford,
Yarnbury Castle, etc.
9. Chess. One of the pieces, made to represent a castle; also called a
rook.
| [1610 J. Guillim Heraldrie iv. xiii. (1611) 222 They [the Rooks] stand in the vttermost corners of the Chesbord, as frontier Castles.] a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Fam. Ep. Wks. (1711) 146 Here is a king defended by a lady, two bishops, two knights, at the end of the lists, with two rooks, fortresses, or castles. 1847 Staunton Chess-pl. Handbk. 5 The Rook, or Castle is next in power to the Queen. |
† 10. ‘A kind of close helmet’ (Nares): but
perh. only a
fig. use.
Obs.| 1577 Holinshed Chron. II. 815 Then..entred Sir Thomas Kneuet, in a castell of cole black, and ouer the castell was written The dolorous castell. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. v. ii. 187 Stand fast, and weare a Castle on thy head. |
11. castle in the air, visionary project or scheme, day-dream, idle fancy. Common since 1575, varied occasionally with
castle in the skies, and the like;
castle in Spain [
= F.
château en Espagne] is found 1400–1600, and occasionally as a Gallicism in modern writers.
Castle alone is also used where the allusion is obvious:
cf. castle-builder, -building.
[As to the
Fr. faire des châteaux en Espagne (found in 13th c.) see Littré; since it varied with
châteaux en Asie,
en Albanie, it appears that the phrase at bottom meant only to build castles in a foreign country where one had no standing-ground, Spain being finally taken as the nearest Moorish country to Christendom, or perhaps with some reference to the arms of Castile.]
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 2573 Thou shalt make castels thanne in Spayne, And dreme of joye, alle but in vayne. 1475 Caxton Jason 19 He began to make castellis in Spaygne as louers doo. 1575 Gascoigne Steel Gl. 55 (Arb.) Things are thought, which neuer yet were wrought, And castels buylt aboue in lofty skies. 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 171 They built Castles in the air, and thought to do great wonders. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. (1594) 182 Some..have their wittes a wool-gathering, and as wee use commonly to say, are building of castles in Spaine. 1590 Greene Orl. Fur. (1599) 16 In conceite builde castles in the skie. 1611 Cotgr., Faire des chasteaux en Espaigne, to build castles in the aire (say we). 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. i. iii. i. ii. (1651) 187 That castle in the ayr, that crochet, that whimsie. c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems 42. 2 Strange castles builded in the skies. 1738 J. Keill Anim. Oecon. Pref. 27 To explain Nature by Theories..is only building Castles in the Air. a 1763 Shenstone Odes (1765) 237 To plan frail castles in the skies. 1829 Marryat F. Mildmay xvi, I built castles till bed-time. 1860 Motley Netherl. IV. 282 The explosion of the Gunpowder Plot blowing the castles in Spain into the air. 1867 Maurice Patriarchs & Lawg. vi. (ed. 4) 120 In looking back to the castles of earliest boyhood. 1871 M. Collins Mrq. & Merch. II. vii. 203 We have all had our castles in Spain. |
12. Comb., as
castle-battlement,
castle-court,
castle-ditch,
castle-gate,
castle-guardian,
castle-wall;
castle-born,
castle-buttressed,
castle-crowned adjs.: also
† castle-boon, an unpaid service due to a castle from neighbouring owners or tenants; see
boon n.1 6;
† castle-bote, the keeping of a castle in repair, a contribution levied for this purpose;
Castle-chamber (Court of), the Irish analogue of the Court of Star-chamber, under the Tudors and Stuarts;
† castle-cloud, a castle-like cloud, a cumulus:
† castle-come-down, used by Foxe for ruin, total destruction;
castle-garth, ? a yard or enclosure belonging to a castle;
† castle-gilliflower, the plant
Matthiola incana;
† castle-hunter, one who builds castles in the air;
† castle-monger, one who builds or owns castles;
castle-nut, a castellated nut (see
castellated ppl. a.);
castle pudding, a pudding steamed or baked in a dariole mould;
† castle-soap, see
Castile soap;
† castle-stead (see
quot.);
castle-top, a tall humming top (still in
north. dial.);
castle-town, a town defended by a castle; also (
Sc.) a collection of houses lying near or under a castle;
castlewards adv., towards the castle;
castle-wick = castleship;
castle-work (see
quot.). See also
castle-builder, -guard,
-ward,
-wise.
| [15.. Plumpton Corr. Introd. 20 They and their tenants were to be quit of *Castell-boone and of drink-money for the foresters, upon payment of a rent of four shillings a year.] |
| 1848 Kingsley Saint's Trag. ii. iii, The *castle-born brat is a senator born, Or a saint, if religion's in vogue. |
| 1628 Coke On Litt. 127 a, Bote signifieth amerciament or compensation, or sometimes freedom from the same, as *castle-bote. |
| 1648 Art. of Peace betw. Ormond & Irish xxi, Persons..authoriz'd by Commission under the Great Seal to regulate the Court of *Castle-chamber. |
| 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies ii. ii. 160 Hot and dry, misty air, *castle clouds. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 1902/1 Her high buildinges of such ioyes and felicities, came all to a Castle Comedowne. |
| 1815 Scott Ld. of Isles v. xxvii, Man and guard the *castle-court. |
| 1610 Mirr. Mag. 776 That ancient *castle-crowned hill. |
| c 1475 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 784. 19 Hec listia, a *castylledyche. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. v. ii. 1 Wee'll couch i'th Castle-ditch. |
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 6 Seuen of the name against the *castle-gate..he did closely place. |
| 1851 Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 567 Isembard's *castlegarth now constitutes a suburb of Saint Valory. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. iv. 152 The great *Castell or stocke Gillofer. 1597 Gerarde Herbal cxiv. 373 Castle Gilloflower. |
| 1752 Berkeley Lett. in Wks. IV. 334 We have not the transports of your *castle-hunters; but our lives are calm and serene. |
| 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. ii. 53 (D.) The Bishops (being the greatest *castle-mongers in that age), very stubborn, and not easily to be ordered. |
| 1902 Automobile Rev. July 1, *Castle nut, a nut having three grooves cut across its top face to receive a split pin. 1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 141/2 Castle nut, a six-sided nut in the top of which six radial slots are cut. Two of these line up with a hole drilled in the bolt or screw, a split pin being inserted to prevent loosening. |
| 1845 E. Acton Mod. Cookery xviii. 472 Sutherland or *Castle Puddings..equal weight of eggs..butter..flour..sugar... Pour the mixture..into well-buttered cups, and bake. 1965 E. J. Howard After Julius xv. 250 Hanwell was having some castle puddings in the kitchen. 1965 A. Christie At Bertram's Hotel xi. 107 Veal cutlets..succeeded by some small castle puddings with a blackberry sauce. |
| 1829 Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 274 A deep tragedy of the *Castle-Spectre sort. |
| 1678–1706 Phillips, *Castlesteed..anciently used for any Fortress or Bulwark. [Also in Kersey, and Bailey 1721–1800]. |
| 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) II. 633 The kites, and marbles, and *castle tops he was fond of then. |
| 1665 Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793) 169 This was a *castle-town, and of great strength. 1864 Glasgow Her. 16 May, These cothouses were often called the Castletoun, because they belonged to or lay near the castle. |
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 141 Alse an *castel wal. 1815 Scott Ld. of Isles iv. viii, That lovely lady sate and wept Upon the castle-wall. |
| 1831 J. Wilson Unimore vi. 313 He moves *Castle-wards. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Chastellenie, a *Castle-wicke, a castleship. |
| 1448 R. Glouc. (1810) 450 (MS. College of Arms) That suche *castellwerk was nat semyng to Religion. 1846 Wright Ess. Mid. Ages I. v. 195 Grievously they oppressed the miserable people of the land with their castle-works. |
▪ II. castle, v. (
ˈkɑːs(ə)l,
-æ-)
[f. prec. n.] 1. a. trans. To inclose or place in, or as in, a castle; also
fig. † b. To inclose (a cistern, etc.) within a building (
obs.;
cf. castellated 2). Also
castle up, etc.
| 1587 Fleming Cont. Holinshed III. 1354/1 The conducting of Thames water, cesterning the same in lead, and castelling with stone. 1611 Florio, Castellare, to encastle, to Castle. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. Introd. iv. §1 (1669) 13/2 Castle me in the arms of thy everlasting strength. 1704 Hearne Duct. Hist. (1714) I. 449 The first Cistern Castled with Stone was the great Conduit in West-Cheap. 1792 W. Roberts Looker-on No. 30 After having castled himself up, as it were, in his own exclusive spirit. 1871 Browning Pr. Hohenst. 116 Some fierce tribe, castled on the mountain peak. |
† 2. To ornament with battlements or in imitation of a castle.
Obs.| c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶371 Bake metes and dish metes..peynted and castelled with papir. |
3. Chess.
a. intr. To bring the castle or rook up to the square next the king, and move the king to the other side of the castle. Also said of the king.
| 1656 Beale Chess 8 He [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. 1820 Hoyle's Games Impr. 210 If you have your choice on which side to castle. 1847 Staunton Chess-pl. handbk. 19 If he castle on the Queen's side, he plays his King to Q.B.'s square, and Q.'s rook to Q.'s sq. The object of this compound move is generally to place the royal Piece in safety, and at the same time bring the Rook..into better play. 1870 Hardy & Ware Mod. Hoyle, Chess 38 He can move only one square at a time except when he castles, which he may do once during each game. |
b. trans.| 1764 R. Lambe Hist. Chess 97 After you have opened your Game a little, and castled your King, bring out your Pieces. 1820 Hoyle's Games Impr. 202 Castle your king as soon as convenient. 1868 C. R. Markham in Macm. Mag. No. 103. 87/2 The Abyssinian is allowed time to castle his king and take the pieces. |
Hence
ˈcastling vbl. n.| 1813 Monthly Rev. LXXII. 355 His games are drawn up as if Castling was not in use. 1880 Boy's own Bk. 586 Castling is a compound move of king and castle. |