# postern

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɒst(ə)n/

## Definitions
1. A back gate, back door, side entrance, or other gateway distinct from the main entrance, especially in a city wall or fortification.
2. A separate or hidden way in or out of a place, situation etc.
3. A subterranean passage communicating between the parade and the main ditch, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks.

## Etymology
From Old French posterne, alteration of posterle, from Late Latin posterula (“back door”), from Latin posterus (“later”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/postern