Spanish word

castro

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkastɾo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhillfort

Example

Visitamos un castro en la costa.

We visited a hillfort on the coast.

Illustration for castro (hillfort)

More examples

¿Has visitado algún castro cerca de aquí?

Have you visited a hillfort near here?

Core concept

Pre-Roman fortified village of clustered dwellings on a raised site with ramparts and ditches.

Common phrases

  • visitar un castro

    visit a hillfort

  • ver los restos del castro

    see the remains of the hillfort

Similar words

pueblo: Local settlement or small town where residents live and work.
población: Collective population of a place, considered as the people living there.
ruina: Partial or ruined traces of an older construction or historical site.
sitio: Named or identifiable place or site defined by its position.

Definition in Spanish

Asentamiento fortificado de época prerromana, formado por viviendas agrupadas y defensas como murallas o fosos, típico del noroeste de la península ibérica.

Word origin

From Latin castrum 'fort, camp', Spanish castro came to name the pre-Roman fortified settlements with stone houses and defensive earthworks typical of northwestern Iberia.

Usage tips

  • Common in archaeology and on tourist signs, castro often appears with ruinas or poblado when speakers want to make clear they mean ancient remains rather than a modern town.

Opposites

Word lists with this word