castle
gb/kˈæsəl/ us/kˈæsəl/
A2
English
~ 2600
vár, sáncol
NOUN
A2
1
vár
A2
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] castle
We visited a medieval castle on our trip to Scotland.
Skóciai utunk során meglátogattunk egy középkori várat.
The castle was surrounded by a deep moat.
A várat mély vizesárok vette körül.
The king held a banquet in the great hall of the castle.
From the castle tower, you could see the entire valley.
Learner examples
The castle is very old.
A vár nagyon régi.
We saw a big castle near the river.
Láttunk egy nagy várat a folyó közelében.
The king lives in the castle.
The castle has many tall towers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'castle' with 'palace'. A palace is usually not fortified and is built for comfort and beauty rather than defense.
Meaning
Fortified royal or noble residence
Collocations
medieval castle
|castle walls
|castle grounds
|royal castle
|castle tower
Synonyms
fortress (Emphasizes the defensive military function rather than being a residence.)
|
palace (Suggests luxury and grandeur but without the strong defensive features.)
Antonyms
hut (A very small, simple dwelling, opposite in scale and grandeur.)
Themes
history
|architecture
|travel
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very big, strong house from the past, where kings, queens, or other important people lived.
A large, strong building or group of connected buildings, often with high walls and towers, built in the past to protect the people inside and serve as a home for royalty or nobility.
VERB
B2
TECHNICAL
2
sáncol
C1
Usage pattern:
to castle [early/long/short]
He decided to castle early in the game for safety.
Úgy döntött, hogy a biztonság kedvéért már a játszma elején sáncol.
You cannot castle if your king has already moved.
Nem sáncolhatsz, ha a királyod már lépett.
She castled queenside to prepare for an attack on the other wing.
Learner examples
I will castle to protect my king.
Sáncolni fogok, hogy megvédjem a királyomat.
You cannot castle if your rook moved.
Nem sáncolhatsz, ha a bástyád már lépett.
He castled early in the game.
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'castle' in chess means moving only the king; it actually involves moving both the king and a rook at once.
Meaning
Chess move involving king and rook
Collocations
castle kingside
|castle queenside
|unable to castle
Synonyms
fortify (Only figuratively similar; in chess it refers to protecting the king.)
Antonyms
expose (To leave the king open to attack instead of protecting it.)
Themes
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In chess, to move the king and a rook at the same time in a special way to protect the king.
In chess, to move the king two squares towards a rook and then move that rook to the square next to the king, as a single move.
Grammar
Dictionary form
castle
IPA
GB/kˈæsəl/
US/kˈæsəl/
Syllables & stress
castle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (castle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: castle
- Plural: castles
Verb
- Base: castle
- 3rd Person Singular: castles
- Present Participle: castling
- Past: castled
Word family
Expressions
a man's home is his castle
1/ə mˈænz hˈoʊm ˈɪz hˈɪz kˈæsəl/
idiom
Home as personal domain
A person should have control over what happens in their own home.
Examples
- He refused to let anyone tell him how to decorate—after all, a man's home is his castle.
- They may criticize my garden, but a man's home is his castle.
build castles in the air
1/bˈɪld kˈæsəlz ˈɪn ðə ˈɛɹ/
idiom
Make unrealistic dreams or plans
To think about nice things you want that will probably not happen.
Examples
- Stop building castles in the air and start working on something real.
- She spends all day building castles in the air about becoming rich without working.