postern
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postern
- /ˈpɒst(ə)n/ UK
- /ˈpəʊst(ə)n/ UK
- /ˈpoʊstəɹn/ US
- /ˈpɑstəɹn/ US
Rhymes with -ɒstən, -əʊstən
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English postern, posterne (“side door or gate; small entranceway; hidden or secret door or passage”), from Late Latin posterna, and from its likely etymon Anglo-Norman posterne and Old French posterne (“hidden exit from a fortified building; back door; small door”) (modern French poterne), a variant of posterle (“back door or passage”) (although this is attested later), possibly also influenced by Latin externus (“external, outward”) and internus (“internal, inward”). Posterle is from Late Latin posterla, posterula (“(small) back door, gate, or way”), from Latin posterus (“coming after, later, next”) (from post (“after; behind”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pós (“afterwards; at, by”)) + -ula (suffix denoting an instrument).
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun.
noun posterns
- A back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one, especially one that is private or not obvious. Euery houſe hath two doores, one into the ſtrete and a poſternne doore on the backſyde into the gardyne.
- A hidden or secret exit or tunnel of a fortification such as a castle, city wall, or fort. [I]f ſhe vvould repair, on the follovving night, vvhen the Signor vvas retired to reſt, to the poſtern-gate of the caſtle, ſhe ſhould, perhaps, ſee Madame Montoni.
- Any way in or out of a place, especially a hidden one; an entrance or exit. It is as hard to come, as for a Cammell / To threed the poſterne of a ſmall needles eie: […]
- An underground passage communicating between a main ditch and a parade, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks. The postern of the enceinte leads through the middle of the curtain, descending from the plane of sight to the ditch.
- A means of escape; an escape route. The motive of all dangers that ever this Monarchy hath undergone, ſhould be carefully heeded, for this Maxime hath no poſterne: Poteſtas humana radicatur in voluntatibus hominum [human power is rooted in the will of men].
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A dishonourable or unconventional means of doing something.
Near-synonym: back door
Similar: back door
- The back or rear part of a thing. Then in the Poſterne of them [named parts of the book] looke, and thou ſhalt find the Poſthume Poems of the Authors Father, comming as neere Kinſemen to the vvorke, being next of blood to the Booke, and yonger brothers to the Authour himſelfe.
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The buttocks of a person; behind, posterior.
Caſt care at thy poſternes; and firke i' thy fetters; / They are ornaments, Baby, haue graced thy betters: […]
Similar: 'tocks, arse, arse cheeks, ass, ass cheeks, back, backside, batty, behind, fundament, blessed assurance, booty
adjective more postern · most postern
- Situated at the rear; posterior. [H]e [Arius] fell head-long, and burſting aſunder in the midſt, immediately expired. Socrates and others ſay, that the Bovvels, and all the Inteſtina, vvith a vaſt Flux of blood iſſued out at the Poſtern paſſage.
- Lower in quality or status; inferior, lesser. [T]heir Aſſembly (as Philoſophers think the VVorld) conſiſts of Atoms; petty ſmall Levites, vvhoſe Parts are not perceptible. And yet theſe inferiour poſtern Teachers have intoxicated England, (for a man ſometimes grovv's drunk by a Gliſter.)
- Clandestine, hidden, secret; also, dishonourable, underhand. Sooner the in-ſide of thy hand ſhall grovv / Hiſped [hispid], and hairie, ere thy Palm ſhall knovv / A Poſtern-bribe tooke, or a Forked-Fee / To fetter Juſtice, vvhen She might be free.
Translations
Every language
noun back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one
| Español | poterna |
|---|---|
| Português | poterna |
| Français | poterne |
| Deutsch | Hintertür, Hintertor |
| Italiano | postierla, pusterla, porta secondaria |
| Русский | за́дняя дверь zádnjaja dverʹ |
Talk about this word "postern." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/postern. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. postern. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/postern "postern." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/postern.Cite this
@misc{postern_2026,
title = {postern},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/postern},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
