Alcazar / noun / al·​ca·​zar

Alcazar is a noun that originated in Arabic and Spanish. It describes fortified military strongholds built to keep out enemies. "Alcazar" is synonymous with palatial castles and fortresses. In the 16th century, they used alcazar to represent an impenetrable Spanish fortress. They built alcazars to house Spanish soldiers and equipment during times of conflict and wars. "Alcazar" is a Spanish stronghold designed to make it difficult or impossible for enemies to penetrate. Fortresses and castles bear similar qualities, with differences in the thickness of walls and the size of windows. They designed alcazars and forts with thicker and taller walls that effectively kept enemies from entering.

In a Sentence

The Spanish soldiers hid inside the alcazar to avoid being captured by their enemies.

The features of an alcazar and a palatial castle are very similar with only a few slight differences.

The King instructed the troops to defend the alcazar with all the weapons they had available.

Etymology

They used the word "alcazar" to represent a Spanish "fortress," ‘castle,' or ‘stronghold' starting in the early 16th-century around circa 1615. We derived the term "alcazar" from the Spanish word alcazar. Etymologists say the word "alcazar" also has Arabic origins, where they used the prefix al combined with qasr to form the new word "al-qasr" meaning ‘castle' or ‘palace.' Alcazar hasn't changed its definition since being introduced into language in the early 16th-century.

Synonyms

Fortress, Castle

Antonyms

Abandonment, Surrender