postern
American Heritage Dictionary:
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pos·tern
(pō'stərn, pŏs'tərn) 
n.
A small rear gate, especially one in a fort or castle.
adj.
Situated in the back or at the side.
n.
A small rear gate, especially one in a fort or castle.
adj.
Situated in the back or at the side.
[Middle English posterne, from Old French, alteration of posterle, from Late Latin posterula, diminutive of Latin posterus, behind. See posterior.]
Roget's Thesaurus:
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postern
1. A minor, often inconspicuous, entry.
2. A small door near a larger one.
3. Any small door or gate, esp. one far from the main gate in a fortified place.
4. Same as sally port.
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[Co]
Minor gate or door in the defensive wall of a town or fortification.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Postern
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009) |
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing defenders to make a sortie on the besiegers.
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture & Construction
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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