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 hiʓ 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. Ibid. (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 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 ʓewroht ænne castel on Herefordscire. Ibid., an. 1069. Se eorl Walðeof … and Eadgar aðeling … þa castelas ʓewunnan. Ibid. (a. 1154), 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. Powel, Lloyd’s Cambria, 3. The cities, townes, Castels and villages.
1597. Shaks., Rich. II., III. iii. 52. This castles tatter’d battlements.
1611. Bible, 1 Chron. xi. 7. Dauid dwelt in the castell: therefore they called it the citie of Dauid.
1638. Dk. Hamilton, in H. Papers (1880), 12. Itt is imposabill to put ani of itt in to Ed[in]bur[gh] Castell.
1756–7. trans. 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 Gaz., 10 Aug., 10/2. The Duchess of Teck … opened a ‘Babies’ Castle’ at Hawkhurst yesterday, in connection with Dr. Barnardo’s homes for orphan and destitute children.
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 centered 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., in Select Speeches (1854), 372. 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.
1877. A. M. Sullivan, New Irel., II. vi. 150. The Castle raised a petty squabble with the prison board as to the expense of these men.
1887. Pall Mall Gaz., 22 Sept., 4/1. So long as the whole machinery of Castle government is openly and aggressively anti-popular, it is perfectly certain that 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. Staunforde, Plees del Coron, 14 b. Ma meason est a moy come mon castel hors de quel le ley ne moy arta a fuer.]
1588. 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.
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 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. Maundev., 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 which were often used in the military art of the time and which are 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. Guillim, Heraldrie, IV. xiii. (1611), 222. They [the Rooks] stand in the vttermost corners of the Chesbord, as frontier Castles.]
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., 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. Shaks., 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 greater wonders by winning onely of SICILIA.
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. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, 42. 2. Strange castles builded in the skies.
1738. 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 & Law-g., vi. (ed. 4), 120. In looking back to the castles of earliest boyhood.
1871. M. Collins, Mrq. & Merch., II. vii. 202–3. We have all had our castles in Spain.
12. Comb., as castle-battlement, -court, -ditch, -gate, -guardian, -wall; castle-born, -buttressed, -crowned adjs.: also † castle-boon, an unpaid service due to a castle from neighboring owners or tenants; see BOON sb.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-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 to scale.
c. 1475. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 784. 19. Hec listia, a *castylledyche.
1598. Shaks., 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 Valery.
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.
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 Herald, 14 May, 6/6. 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.
