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castrum

castrum

9.9
An ancient Roman fort or military camp where soldiers lived
  • noun
  • /ˈkæstrəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : castrum
  • The archaeologists discovered a well-preserved castrum from the Roman Empire during their excavation.

Examples

  • It is one of the earliest examples of a castrum, a building with one fortification wall completely enclosing another.

    Academic text (2002)
  • One of the earliest examples of the "concentric castle" or castrum, a building with one fortification wall entirely enclosing another, Belvoir remains one of the most remarkable buildings of this type.

    Academic text (2002)
  • And it was at that time that a military camp, Oregon Castrum was CASTRUMA Castrum was laid out there.

  • Many cities in Italy are named after the ancient castrum that once served as military strongholds.

  • The remains of the castrum provide valuable insights into the military architecture of ancient Rome.

Synonyms

castra
vscastrum
  • Literature
1 9.9

A camp for Roman soldiers that became the origin of some place names

is the English term for the same Roman military site
burgus
vscastrum
  • Archaic
9.9

A small Roman fort with walls used to defend and watch the area

is a general Roman fort or camp rather than a small defensive post

How Big

citadel
51 7.7
fortress
106 4.4
castrum
  • Specialized
9.9
fort
153 2.3
blockhouse
2 8.5
watchtower
11 4.3

Surface Forms

castrum singular
castra plural

Etymology

Castrum was the Latin name for a Roman 'fort' or military 'camp'. You can still see it in English place names: towns ending in -chester or -caster often began as a Roman castrum, and it is also related to castle, so remember castrum as a Roman 'fort' that often became the heart of a town.