noun
- small gates or doors, especially back or side entrances to a castle, fort, or walled city
Usage: historical; architecture
Examples
- The soldiers escaped through the posterns while the enemy attacked the main gate.
- Medieval castles often had hidden posterns for emergency exits.
- The posterns were carefully guarded to prevent infiltration.
- They discovered ancient posterns in the city wall during excavation.
- The fortress had three posterns leading to different escape routes.
- Guards were stationed at all posterns during the siege.