guardroom

Everyday

1. A room where soldiers or guards on duty stay, often near a gate. tree →
2. A room in a castle or barracks where prisoners are kept for a short time. tree →

In the lessons

A castle, army and prison word. In The Wind in the Willows Toad is dragged through the gloomy castle-prison, past guardrooms full of soldiers, to the deepest dungeon. In history lessons on castles, the guardroom is usually beside the gatehouse.

Examples

• The soldiers rested in the guardroom by the castle gate. tree →
• Toad was dragged past the guardroom to the dungeon. tree →
• The guard went back to the guardroom to warm his hands. tree →
• The prisoner was kept in the guardroom overnight. tree →
• We visited the old guardroom at the Tower of London. tree →
• Keys hung on a hook in the guardroom. tree →

Note

Countable, one word. Related: guardhouse, gatehouse, barracks. «On guard» means watching; «off guard» means not ready.