Standard Lemma guide

forecastle

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈfoʊk.səl/
  • General-American: /ˈfoɹ.kæ.səl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A raised part of the upper deck at the front of a ship; the structure of this part of the ship; the crew's quarters located within it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

Examples

  • Holonyms: watercraft, vessel, vessel

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: aftcastle, aftercastle

2

noun

Meaning 2

living quarters consisting of a superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fo'c'sle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: living quarters, quarters

History

Etymology

From Middle English forecastel, forcastel, (whence also Anglo-French forechasteil), equivalent to fore- + castle. Compare Dutch voorkasteel.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бак (bak) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Catalan: castell de proa — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Chinese Mandarin: 前甲板 (qiánjiǎbǎn) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Danish: bak — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Danish: folkelukaf — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Dutch: voorkasteel — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Finnish: etukastelli — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Finnish: pakka — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • French: gaillard d'avant — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Galician: castelo — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • German: Vorschiff — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • German: Bugkastell — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Hebrew: בֵּית קַדְמָה (bet kadmá) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Hebrew: צוּר חַרְטוֹם (tsur khartóm) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Ido: kastelo avana — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Ido: avana kastelo — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Irish: deic thosaigh — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Japanese: 船首楼 (senshurō) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Manx: cashtal toshee — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Middle English: forstage — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Norman: châté — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Norman: gaillard d'avant — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Norwegian: ruff — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bakk — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bakkdekk — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Polish: bak — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Polish: bakdek — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Portuguese: castelo de proa — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Russian: бак (bak) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Russian: полуба́к (polubák) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Russian: носово́й ку́брик (nosovój kúbrik) — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Spanish: castillo de proa — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Swedish: backdäck — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Swedish: back — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Welsh: fforcas — nautical: raised part of the upper deck at bow
  • Finnish: skanssi — crew's quarters
  • Hebrew: מְגוּרֵי חַרְטוֹם (megurey khartom) — crew's quarters
  • Hebrew: צוּר הַחַרְטוֹם (tsur hakhartom) — crew's quarters
  • Hebrew: בֵּית הַקָדְמָה (beit hakadmah) — crew's quarters
  • Irish: caiseal tosaigh — crew's quarters
  • Polish: forkasztel — crew's quarters
  • Polish: dziobówka — crew's quarters
  • Swedish: skans — crew's quarters
Real reading context

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