Illustration of castle
- 1 fortified approach
- 2 moat
- 3 drawbridge
- 4 ward
- 5 angle tower
- 6 donjon or keep
- 7 chapel
- 8 gallery
1
a
: a large fortified building or set of buildings
b
: a massive or imposing house
2
: a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion
3
castled; castling
ˈka-s(ə-)liŋ 
: to move a chess king two squares toward a rook and in the same move the rook to the square next past the king
Examples of castle in a Sentence
Noun
Millionaires built their castles along the lake.
the implacable attackers placed the castle under a prolonged siege
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Cecile is worldly and has seen her share of sorrow, while Fanny has been cloistered in this elaborate old castle under the watchful eye of an over-protective mother and eccentric grandmother.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Tim Ellis, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
For example, pawns could not move two squares on their first turn, and there was no similar rule for castling.
—Dylan Loeb McClain, New York Times, 27 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for castle
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Noun
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Cecile is worldly and has seen her share of sorrow, while Fanny has been cloistered in this elaborate old castle under the watchful eye of an over-protective mother and eccentric grandmother.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
The proactive Axar Patel hit an aggressive 27 before being castled by Nathan Ellis.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
For example, pawns could not move two squares on their first turn, and there was no similar rule for castling.
—Dylan Loeb McClain, New York Times, 27 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for castle
Cite this Entry
“Castle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castle. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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