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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Castel(l, n. Also: castele, -elle, (kastell, caustell,) castill; castale, -all. [ME. castel, -ell, castelle, -ele, etc., ONF. castel, L. castellum.]

1. A castle.Found earlier in the place-name Castelfelde (1333).(a) 1375 Barb. i. 185.
Bath castell and toune War intill his possessioune Ib. x. 310.
He … set a sege to the castele, That then wes varnyst vondir vele 1386 Rotuli Sc. II. 85/2.
Takyng of castelx, of forteresses, & wallid tounes 14.. Acts I. 29/2.
Gif ony man of the castell has ocht misdone til ony man of the burgh, he sal aske lauch at the castell ututh the yhettis c1420 Wynt. vii. 1669.
The Northwmbrys … had hym fyrst till Rychemwnd, And thare [he] wes set in that castelle Ib. 1714; etc.
Thai castellys the lutenawndys Delyweryd fra all Scottys men 1438 Acts II. 32/2.
Quhare thar is ony rebellys … within ony castellys or fortalicis resett or haldyn 1456 Hay I. 114/28.
Alssua suld he … se that na knychtis … suld byde behynd in castellis na fortressis c1475 Wall. iv. 500.
In that castell thar vij dayis baide he a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 44.
The yettis war clenely kepit with ane castell c1515 Asl. MS. I. 270/10.
He wan Norhame … with mony diuers strenthis & castellis on the Ynglis bordour 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 96.
Thow mycht haue sene the preparatioun, In euerilk ciete, castell, toure, and town a1540 Freiris Berw. 11.
And syne the castell is so strang and wicht, With strait towris and turattis he on hicht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6903.
He keipit hir … within closour, In the greit hous of ane strenthie castell a1578 Pitsc. I. 143/10.
He commandit to charge all the gunnis to gif the castell ane new wollie 1596 Dalr. I. 11/7.
Finallie [there are] verie mony strang castellis in thay partes 1615 Highland P. III. 235.
Sir Oliuer Lambertis l're … commanding thame to rander the kastell 1650 Peebles B. Rec. 422.
For thrie nightes quarteres of ane ceirgent that com owt of the castill(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 4185.
To thare fays … To wyn off were than that castale a1500 Bk. Chess 664.
Baith he & his oist was in the castall brocht a1500 Seven S. 425.
All waist [thai] Left the castall 1520 Maxwell Mem. I. 245.
Sic lik profettis and dewetis as my said castall had ws and vont of befor

b. Combined with a place-name. Brus iv. 44.
The queyn … That wald on na wys langar ly In the castell of Kyldromy 1386 Rotuli Sc. II. 85/2.
The castelx of Jedd, Rokesburgh, the toun of Berwyk and the castel c1420 Wynt. vii. 3200.
Kyng Alysawndyr … made hym for to dwelle In till Edynburchys styth castelle Ib. viii. 3741.
To the Erle Patryk thai gave The Castell off Berwyke in kepyng 1442 Stirlings of Keir 216.
To compere befor … the kyng and his consale in the castale of Striuelyn c1475 Wall. iii. 225.
The Sothron part … With sorow socht to the castell of Ayr c1515 Asl. MS. I. 215/18.
Schir Alexander Levingstoun … beand in the castell of Sterling Ib. 226/25.
The lard of Ihonstonis twa sonis tuk the castall of Lochmabane 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 97.
To Williame Peblis, plumber, for mending of certane holis in the hous thekit with leid in the caustell of Edinburght a1578 Pitsc. I. 152.
How the Castill of Roxburghe was wone 1596 Dalr. II. 198/17.
The king … was persuadet to leiue the castell of Striueling, and cum to the castell of Ed[inburgh] 1627 Peebles Gleanings 96.
To cairrie ane crippill to the castill

2. An elevated structure on the deck of a ship. 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 41.
Sittand in the hie eft castell of our schip

3. Attrib. with burn, dure, fort, gate (street), gavil, hill, keping, land, man, stede, wall, ȝet. 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 175.
The land lyand on the north half of the gate of the castale burn — a1500 Seven S. 2462.
The castall duris he lokit fast — 1603 Reg. Great S. 506/2.
Passing fra Lamberheavin to Sanct-Bais-wall leveand the fullseyis and castell-forth uponn the north — a 1300 Liber Calchou 459.
Habent in burgo de Jedword viij den. annui redditus in Castlegat 1362 Exch. R. II. 117.
Capella Sancti Laurencii, in le Castelgaytt de Perth — 1374 Reg. Great S. (1814) 136/2.
Ex parte boreali pontis de Castelgayll infra burgum de Perth Ib. 158/1.
Castelgayle 1492 Black Friars Perth 62.
Illam terram cum pertinentiis jacentem extra lie Castelgavil brig dicti burgi 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 206.
Hospicium Joannis Merschell cum quatuor bothis sub gradu eiusdem in ly castell gawelle 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 89.
An house of mighty stone he framed, From whence our Castle-gavil as yet is named — c1515 Asl. MS. I. 236/5.
James … & Robyne of Levingstoun … was put to deid baith togidder on the Castellhill 1542 Reg. Privy S. II. 758/2.
Betuix the said gait on the est parte [and] the castell-hill on the west part 1558-66 Knox II. 158.
From the Castelhill thai come with violence — 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 278/2.
We … sal … infeft our sade cousing … in the said office of schirefschip, castel keping and landis — 1592 Exch. R. XXII. 236.
The maillis of the castellandis … uptaikin be Johnne, lord Maxwell — c1575 Balfour Pract. 54.
Gif ane burges do ane fault to ony castelman, he sall seik law of him within burgh a1578 Pitsc. II. 11/15.
Certaine of the castell men wschit out — 1510 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 14.
The mote and castelsted of the Tybbiris 1588 Exch. R. XXI. 361.
The landis of Dunbar … with the cuningar and dowcat and castellsteid thairof 1601 Reg. Great S. 395/1.
Antiquum castrum de Kincardin et lie Castelsted thairof — a1500 Seven S. 2333.
Than subtelly scho couth him syne For to cum neire the castall wall 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 251/2.
His chapel newly bigat … at the barreris under his castell wall 1596 Dalr. II. 144/1.
The castel walis … [being] sair braschte and dung doun — a1500 Doug. K. Hart 774.
The castell ȝet is strang aneuche to hald