postern — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one, especially one that is private or not obvious.

   Usage

   • also
   • attributive

   Examples

   Euery houſe hath two doores, one into the ſtrete and a poſternne doore on the backſyde into the gardyne.

   He by a priuy Poſterne tooke his flight, / That of no enuious eyes he more be ſpyde: / For doubtleſſe death enſevved, if any him deſcryde.

   More examples (6)

   [G]oe on (good Eglamoure) / Out at the Poſterne by the Abbey vvall; / I feare I am attended by ſome Spies.

   Your Follovvers I vvill vvhiſper to the Buſineſſe, / And vvill by tvvoes, and threes, at ſeuerall Poſternes, / Clear them o' th' Citie: […]

   As this Palace [Kensington Palace] opens to the VVeſt, there are Tvvo great VVings build, for receiving ſuch as neceſſarily attend the Court, and a large Port-cocher at the Entrance, vvith a Poſtern, and a Stone Gallery, on the South-ſide of the Court, vvhich leads to the great Stair-caſe.

   And now he gains the postern door, / Now enters—and is seen no more.

   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.

   [S]he [Empress Matilda] escaped in white robes by a postern, and crossing the river unobserved on the ice, made her way to Abingdon, to return some years after to Normandy.

2. A back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one, especially one that is private or not obvious. A hidden or secret exit or tunnel of a fortification such as a castle, city wall, or fort.

   Usage

   • also
   • attributive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   [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.

   In the outwork was a sally-port corresponding to the postern of the castle, and the whole was surrounded by a strong palisade.

3. A back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one, especially one that is private or not obvious. Any way in or out of a place, especially a hidden one; an entrance or exit.

   Usage

   • also
   • attributive
   • broadly

   Examples

   It is as hard to come, as for a Cammell / To threed the poſterne of a ſmall needles eie: […]

   Thought, buſy Thought! too buſy for my Peace, / Thro' the dark Poſtern of Time long elapſ'd, / Led ſoftly, by the ſtillneſs of the Night, […]

4. A back door or gate, side entrance, or other entrance distinct from the main one, especially one that is private or not obvious. An underground passage communicating between a main ditch and a parade, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks.

   Usage

   • also
   • attributive
   • Historical

   Examples

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

5. A means of escape; an escape route.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Figurative

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   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].

   [I]f thou hast dipped thy foot in the river, yet venture not over Rubicon; run not into extremities from whence there is no regression, nor be ever so closely shut up within the holds of vice and iniquity, as not to find some escape by a postern of recipiscency.

6. A dishonourable or unconventional means of doing something.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Figurative

   Synonyms

   back door

   Examples

   Near-synonym: back door

   [B]y this poſtern gate commeth in the vvhole mark of Papall Indulgences, a gain uneſtimable unto him, to others a ſpoile, a skorn both to God and Man.

   More examples (1)

   [M]any needleſſly charge themſelves in living too long in the Univerſity, ſucking ſo long of their Mother, they are never a vvhit the vviſer for it; vvhileſt others not ſtaying there ſo long, nor going through the porch of humane Arts, but entring into Divinity at the poſtern, have made good Preachers, providing their People vvholſome meat, though not ſo finely dreſt.

7. The back or rear part of a thing.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Obsolete

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

8. The buttocks of a person; behind, posterior.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Obsolete

   Examples

   Caſt care at thy poſternes; and firke i' thy fetters; / They are ornaments, Baby, haue graced thy betters: […]

   More examples (1)

   But tho' his Countenance vvas ſo ſtern, / Yet from the Regions of his Poſtern, / Drop'd ſomething Saffron-Dye excelling, / Yet ſvveet as Musk, or Civet, Smelling.

Adjective

1. Situated at the rear; posterior.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   [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.

2. Lower in quality or status; inferior, lesser.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   [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.)

3. Clandestine, hidden, secret; also, dishonourable, underhand.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

Noun

1. a small gate in the rear of a fort or castle

   Broader terms

   gate