Guest Book - Sign In

Guest Book - View
(link disabled)

A

Abbot: The head monk of a monastery.

Abbots Guesthouse: A house for travelers staying at a monastery.

Abbots House: The large house where the abbot lived and entertained.

Acre: A measurement of area equal to 43,560 square feet.

Aft: The back of a ship.

Allies: Friendly countries or states which join together for a common purpose.

Allure: A passage behind the parapet of a castle wall.

Alms: Gifts of money to the poor.

Alms House: The place in an abbey where poor people can stay, and receive gifts of food or money. 

Anglo: The old word for English.

Apprentice: Someone who learns a trade or craft by working with a skilled person.

Apse: Circular or polygonal end of a chapel or tower.

Arcading: Rows of arches supported on columns, free standing or attached to a wall (blind arcade).

Archer: A person who shoots with a bow and arrow.

Armor: The type of metal or padding used to protect soldiers. A protective covering of any kind.

Arrow Loop: A narrow vertical slit cut into a wall Through which arrows could be fired from inside,

Arrow Slit: Long narrow vertical openings, in a  castle wall to shoot arrows through.                                                                                                        Arrow storm: A large number of arrows being shot at enemy or defenders.

Ashlars: Squared blocks of smooth stone.

Astrolabe: An instrument that helped sailors chart their course at sea.

Astronomy: The study of stars and planets.

Aventail: Protection for the face, made of mail armor.  

B

Bailey: Ward or courtyard inside the walls of a castle, usually oval or rectangular.

Bailiff: The overseer on a manor, who is employed by the lord.

Ballista: Medieval weapon that was similar to crossbow mounted on stand. Used in hurling missiles or large arrows.

Barbican: Outer tower of the castle that defended the approaches to the gatehouse or drawbridge.

Barracks: Building or group of buildings used to house soldiers, workers or a large number of other people.

Bargain: To argue over the price of something.

Baron: Barons are knights and noblemen. They are given land by the king or queen and promised service in return. Their job is to protect his people and his land, and see that people will live peacefully following the law. The barons also get orders straight from the king.

Barrel Vault: A semicircular roof of stone or timber.

Bartizan: An over hanging corner turret. 

Bastion: A small tower at the end of a curtain wall or in the middle of the outside wall.

Batter: Bottom of the outside thicker wall. Built to protect the base of the wall against attack, and increase its stability.

Battering ram: A heavy wooden beam used to break through the gate of the castle.

Battle: A fight between two armies.

Battlements:  Walls on a building with openings to fire arrows or guns sloped out. A narrow wall built along the outer edge of the wall walk, to protect soldiers against attack.

Battle of Hasting: Battle in 1066 in which William the Conqueror defeated and killed King Harold of England. 

Bayeux Tapestry: A piece of linen more than 70 meters long that contains embroidered pictures of the Battle of the Hastings.

Belfry: A tall, movable wooden siege tower.

Belvedere: A raised turret or pavilion.

Berm: The area between moat and castle.

Besiege: To surround a place to make it surrender.

Bestiary: A medieval encyclopedia of beasts and their habits.

Bishop: A bishop is the lord of the priest. The bishop governs a great church called a cathedral. The bishops also have as much power as a baron.

Bird Scaring: When children throw stones at the birds that ate the crops.  

Blacksmith: A person who forges or and shapes iron into horseshoes and other objects.

Blood Letting: Removing some of the person’s blood to cure them of disease.

Bolt: A metal bar that slides into place and locks something.

Bombardment: A nonstop attack with cannons. 

Bore: Heavy pole with iron head used by besiegers to attack the base of a wall.

Bribery: Giving a secret gift to persuade someone to do something dishonest or illegal.

Butler: Looks after the castle supplies.

Buttery: Room for services of beverages.

Buttress: A pillar strengthening a wall.

C

Cannon: A heavy gun that fires large metal balls.

Canopied bed: Beds with tops over them surrounded with thick curtains, on all sides to keep out cold air.

Capital: The upper most part a column.

Carpenter:  A person who builds things with wood.

Castle: A large fortified building or group of buildings belonging to an nobleman/noblewoman.

Catapult: A large war engine for throwing stones.

Cesspit: The opening in a wall in which the waste from one or more garderoles was collected.

Chain mail:  Armor made up of metal rings linked in circles.

Chain mail armor: Suits worn by soldiers made of thousands of pieces of metal.   

Chamber: Private room especially a bedroom. 

Chapter House: Is where the monks read a set of rules each day, taking turns so they would not forget. Each pupil would get to read at least three times a year.

Charity: Help freely given to needy people.

Chastity: The state of not being married.

Chert: A type of hard flint stone.

Chevron Molding: Molding in form or inverted V’s. A favorite Norman decoration.

Chivalry: Very polite, helpful behavior toward a man or a woman.

Church: A place where religion is practiced.

Cistern: A stone tank used for collecting rainwater.

Citizen: A resident of a particular town or city.

Clogs: Heavy wooden shoes.

Cloister: An open garden surrounded by an enclosed arcaded walkway.

Concentric: Having two sets of wall, one inside another.

Concentric Castle: A castle with two complete sets of walls, one inside the other. c: The person in charge of the castle guard.

Convent: A building where nuns live and work.

Corbel: Stone bracket projecting from a wall or corner to support a beam.

Craftsman: Someone skilled at making things with their hands.

Crenel: Regular gaps in the top of the walls, toothed appearance.

Crenellations: A notched battlement at the top of a tower or wall, made up of alternate crenels and merlons.

Crossbow:  A mechanical bow for firing arrows.

Crosswall: An internal dividing in a great tower.  

Crusade: A famous war in the time of castles, were wars in which Christian armies from Europe tried to conquer Jerusalem and the holy places where Jesus lived.

Crusader: Someone who fought for the Christian armies to recapture to the Holy land from the Muslim Saracens.

Curtain: The stonewall surrounding the bailey.

Curtain Wall: A castle wall enclosing a courtyard.

Cut: An assault tower.

D

Dais: Platform used to raise the high table.

Daub: A mud or clay mixture applied over wattle to strengthen and seal it. 

Digger:  Someone who digs the moat surrounding the castle.

Donjon:  The inner Stronghold of the castle. Also called the Great tower or stone keep.

Dormitory: The sleeping quarters in a monastery.

Dowry: The amount of money and things that a bride brought into a marriage.

Drawbridge: A wooden bridge that leads to the gateway. It can be drawn up or lowered down upon command. Heavy timber platform built to span a moat between a gatehouse and a surrounding land that could be raised using ropes or chains to blo0ck the entrance when required.  

Drone: Continuous sound

Drum Tower: A round tower built into a wall.

Dubbing: The ceremony in which a squire becomes a Knight.

Dun: Scottish or Irish single family.

Dungeon: The jail, a dark underground prison. Usually found in one of the towers.

E

Embrasure: Window opening. Low segment of the alternating high and low segments of a battlement. Open space in battlements.

Embroider: To sew a picture or a design onto a cloth.  

EnBosse: The surface of a stone that is left uncut.

Enceinte: The enclosure or fortified area of a castle.

Escalade: Scaling of a castle wall.

Evidence: Clues or facts that show what happened at a certain time and place.

Excavate: To remove by digging or scooping out.

For more information contact them at www.thinkquest.com or click on their logo at left.

Home Page