Glossary of Castle Terms
A
alcazaba—a Moorish defensive structure including massive square towers, extensive walls, and labyrinthine paths
alcázar—a Moorish palace built around a garden; from the Arabic word qasr
apse—the circular- or polygonal-shaped end of a tower or chapel
armory—a weapons storeroom
arrow slit or arrow loop window—a narrow vertical slit cut in the castle walls through which only an arrow could be fired from inside
azulejos—decorative ceramic tiles
B
bailey—a courtyard inside the castle walls
balustrade—the posts and railings along a stairway or path
barbican—a house or tower that defends a gate or drawbridge
baronial—pertaining to a baron or noble of the landowner class
barrel vault—a barrel-shaped roof having the appearance of a tunnel
bastion—a small projection at the end of a wall or tower
battlements—the notched top of a defensive wall; crenelations
belfry—a tall wooden tower which could be moved up against a castle or wall in times of siege
Benedictine—from the monastic order founded by St. Benedict in 530
blazon—a coat of arms
blockhouse—a small square fortification
burg—a German fortified castle
C
capital—top of a column
casemate—a chamber in a wall with openings for arrows
castellan—an officer in charge of a castle
catapult—a device used for hurling stones over a castle’s walls
chevron—a zigzag molding or design
chivalry—the rules for polite and honorable behavior that knights were expected to follow
Cistercian—a branch of the Benedictine monastic order
corbel—a projecting stone bracket from a wall or corner which helps support a beam
cornice—a decorative projection along the top of a wall
crenel—the open spaces between the merlons of a battlement
crenelation—the notched fortifications on top of a wall; battlements; a license to “crenelate” was official permission to fortify a structure
curtain—a connecting wall between two towers surrounding a courtyard
D
daub—a mud and clay mixture applied over wattle to strengthen and seal it
doge—a chief magistrate of Venice, Italy
donjon— a castle’s main tower
dormer—a window partly in the wall and partly in the roof
dovecote—a shelter for doves
drawbridge—a heavy bridge that could be raised or lowered over a moat
E
Elizabethan—from the period of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603)
embrasure—a space in a wall that has a wide opening on the inside tapering to a narrow slit on the exterior used for shooting at the enemy
enceinte—enclosure or courtyard
escutcheon—a shield on which a coat of arms is depicted
F
feudalism—a political and economic system under which land was granted by a landowner to a person in exchange for military service or other duties
finial—a slender piece of stone used to decorate the tops of merlons, towers, or balustrades
forestair—an external open stair leading to the upper floors
Franciscan—from the monastic order founded by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century
fresco—painting on wet plaster wall
G
gallery—a long covered walkway or corridor
garderobe—a medieval toilet
gatehouse—a large structure containing a fortified gate
Gothic—a style of architecture from the 12th to 16th centuries characterized by pointed arches and ribbed vaults
great hall—a principal building that held the meeting and dining areas or a throne room
H
half-timber—a medieval construction in which walls were made of a wood frame filled with wattle and daub
heraldry—the rules concerning a nobleman’s use of patterns used on flags, armor, and shields
herringbone masonry—stone or brick work laid diagonally instead of horizontally
J
Jacobean—from the period of King James I of England (1603-1625)
K
keep—the main tower of a castle often containing living quarters
keystone—the central wedge-shaped stone in top of an arch
L
laird—a minor baron or small landholder
lancet—a long, narrow window with an arched top
lintel—a horizontal beam or stone placed over the top of a door or window and supporting the wall above
loophole—a tall, vertical slit in a wall for air, light, or shooting through
M
machiolation—openings in a floor of a projecting parapet or platform on a castle or tower’s outside allowing castle defenders to pour hot oil or throw rocks on the enemy below
mangonel—an offensive weapon with projectile arms that turn and hurl rocks
mantle—a simple curtain wall without towers
Manueline—from the period of King Manueline I of Portugal (1495-1521)
merlon—the piece of solid stone between two crenels on a wall or battlement
minstrel’s gallery—an area where musicians performed
moat—a water-filled, protective ditch that surrounds the castle
motte and bailey—an early style of castle in which a wood or stone tower was built on an artificial or natural mound of earth
Mudéjar—a Gothic style of Islamic art with a strong Moorish influence which developed in Spain after the Christian reconquest from the 11th to the 15th centuries
mullion—a vertical piece of stone or wood dividing a window
murder hole—an opening in a roof over a passageway through which hot oil, rocks, and arrows could be thrown down on the attackers below
O
oratory—a small private room for prayer usually in a private house
oriel window—a large projecting window similar to a bay window
oubliette—a dungeon entered by a trap door where prisoners were left to die; from the French word oublier—“to forget”
P
palisade—a defensive wooden fence
parapet—a low wall on the outer side of a main wall or rampart
pilaster—a rectangular wall projection that imitates a column
pinnacle—an ornamental crowning spire
Plateresque—an intricate style of stonework decorating building faades in Renaissance Spain; from the Spanish word plata because the effect resembled fine silver work
portcullis—a heavy grating made of wood or iron that dropped in front of a castle entrance to prevent passage
postern—a small door or gate away from the castle’s main entrance that was often hidden to allow castle defenders to enter or exit without detection; a castle entrance located in the back of the castle
Q
quadrangle—an inner courtyard
quattrocento—an Italian designation referring to the 15th century
R
rampart—a defensive stone or earth wall surrounding a castle or town
refectory—a communal dining hall
revetment—a retaining wall to prevent erosion; to face a surface with stone slabs
rib—raised molding dividing a vault
Romanesque—a style of architecture from the 9th to the 12th centuries which used heavy masonry, round arches, and barrel vaults
S
schloss—a German castle or baronial mansion, usually a little more refined than a burg
siegework—an earthwork raised for the protection of a force besieging a castle
solar—the private living quarters of the lord often over the great hall
T
tracery—decorative intersecting ribwork in the upper part of a window
transom—a horizontal bar of stone or wood in a window ; a crossbar
tufa—a white porous limestone rock seen in French castles
turret—a small round tower often used as a lookout
V
vassal—a person granted land in return for military service
vault—an arched ceiling usually of stone
W
wall walk—walkway on a wall top which is protected by a parapet
ward—courtyard enclosure of a castle; a bailey
wattle—a mat of woven sticks and weed used in wall construction
wicket—a small door forming part of a larger one
windlass—a mechanical device used to raise and lower the drawbridge
Y
yett—an iron lattice gate