postern Hear it!

postern Definition

pos·tern (pōs′tərn, päs′-)

noun

a back door or gate; private entrance at the side or rear

Etymology: ME < OFr posterne, altered < posterle < LL posterula, a small back door, postern, dim. < posterus: see posterior

adjective

of or resembling a postern, as in being at the rear, or private
postern Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • small: The guards conferred for a moment before one disappeared from the ramparts and emerged a few moments later at a small postern.

Modifies a noun

  • gate: Slightly north of the Tower a postern gate was made in the wall, from which two roads ran eastward.
  • door: A small postern door leads to the outer ward from below the solar.
  • gateway: Masonry blocks and some red Roman brick work survive in the arch of this postern gateway which was not blocked until the 15th century.

Preposition: in

  • wall: It acquired this name from a twirling gate ( demolished in 1722 ) which was in a postern in the city wall.