castle
castle Lexical Profile
castle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A large, highly fortified building or group of buildings constructed in the Middle Ages, typically serving as a royal or noble residence and a defensive stronghold.
"The king's army besieged the stone castle for three months before finally breaching its outer walls."
A chess piece shaped like a turret or tower; traditionally known in modern play as a rook.
"He slid his castle down the open file to place direct pressure on his opponent's back rank."
• verb
To make a special move in chess wherein the king advances two squares toward a rook, and the rook is moved to the square the king just crossed.
"She decided to castle early in the game to protect her king from a dangerous attack in the center of the board."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with 'palace' or 'fortress', a true historical castle specifically combines the functions of a defensive military fortification and a noble or royal residence.
• Rhymes for castle
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old Norman French 'castel', originating from the Latin 'castellum', which is a diminutive of 'castrum' meaning 'fort' or 'military camp'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.