postern

From Old French posterne, alteration of posterle, from Late Latin posterula (“back door”), from Latin posterus (“later”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒst(ə)n/, /ˈpəʊst(ə)n/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑstɚn/, /ˈpoʊstɚn/

• Audio (General American):

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postern (plural posterns)

2. (architecture) A back gate, back door, side entrance, or other gateway distinct from the main entrance, especially in a city wall or fortification.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “ij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XII:

     And as they cam hurlyng vnder the Castel where as sir launcelot lay in wyndowe / & sawe how two knyghtes layd vpon syr Blyaunt with their swerdes / […] / And thenne sir launcelot brake the chaynes fro his legges and of his armes / […] / & so sir launcelot ran out at a posterne / and there he mett with the two knyȝtes that chaced sir Blyaunt

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 52:

     He by a privy postern took his flight.

   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Out at the postern, by the abbey wall.

   • 1818 July 25, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter I, in Tales of My Landlord, Second Series, […] (The Heart of Mid-Lothian), volume IV, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Company, →OCLC, page 3:

     The Duke of Argyle led the way in silence to the small postern by which they had been admitted into Richmond Park, so long the favourite residence of Queen Caroline. It was opened by the same half-seen janitor, and they found themselves beyond the precincts of the royal demesne.

3. (archaic, by extension) A separate or hidden way in or out of a place, situation etc.
4. (historical, military) A subterranean passage communicating between the parade and the main ditch, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks.
   • 1850, Dennis Hart Mahan, Summary of the Course of Permanent Fortification and of the Attack and Defence of Permanent Works:

     The postern of the enceinte leads through the middle of the curtain, descending from the plane of sight to the ditch

postern (comparative more postern, superlative most postern)

1. Situated at the rear; posterior.

• Shottle and Postern

• reptons, pronest, Preston, Reptons

postern

1. definite singular of poster

• portens, prosten, sporten, torpens