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Glite Dictionary
sterncastle

sterncastle

9.9
A raised part at the back of a ship used for a cabin or lookout
  • noun
  • /ˈstɜrnˌkæsəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : castillo de popa
  • From the top of the sterncastle, the captain had a clear view of the horizon.

Examples

  • There's a sterncastle for you, high as a cathedral wall.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Close enough to make her name: Perseverance, a first-class merchantman out of—by Jove—there's a sterncastle for you—glazed and rearing high as a cathedral wall!

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The old ship's sterncastle was adorned with intricate wood carvings.

  • During the storm, I hurried to the safety of the sterncastle to avoid the waves.

Synonyms

deckhouse
vssterncastle
  • US
1 6.6

A small covered structure on a ship's deck for shelter, storage, or work

is a raised rear structure mainly serving as cabin or lookout

Surface Forms

sterncastle singular
sterncastles plural

Morphology

sterncastle = stern + castle (semi-transparent) = stern + castle

The compound is clearly built from 'stern' + 'castle', but its meaning is a specialized nautical structure rather than a literal castle, making it only partially predictable for average learners.

Etymology

Sterncastle combines stern ('the back of a ship') and castle ('a small fortress'). So a sterncastle is like a little 'fort' raised at the ship's rear where people could watch or shelter.