citadel

From French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città (“city”), from Latin cīvitās.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪtədəl/, /ˈsɪtədɛl/

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citadel (plural citadels)

1. A strong fortress that sits high above a city.
2. (sometimes figurative) A stronghold or fortified place.
   • 1836, Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, The American in England (page 269)

     Intrenched within the citadel of our apartment, and cheered by the comfortings of a coal fire, we passed the day in letter-writing, conversation, or gazing from the sheltered security of our windows upon the agitated sea […]

3. An armoured portion of a warship, housing important equipment.
   • 2000, Lincoln P. Paine, Warships of the World to 1900

     Twenty-two of these — eleven per broadside — were on the main deck within a central citadel, essentially an armor-protected box in the middle of the ship. Also within the citadel were four 110-pdr. breech-loaders.

4. A Salvation Army meeting place.

• dactile, deltaic, dialect, edictal, lactide

Borrowe from Middle French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città (“city”), from Latin cīvitās.

• IPA^(key): /ˌsi.taːˈdɛl/

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• Hyphenation: ci‧ta‧del
• Rhymes: -ɛl

citadel f (plural citadellen or citadels, diminutive citadelletje n)

1. citadel

• dialect