Forms: 6–7 citadella, citadell, 7 cittadell, citadle, 7–8 cittadel, 7– citadel. [a. F. citadelle, ad. It. cittadella, dim. of città, cittade city:—L. cīvitāt-em. Lit. little city: i.e., the smaller or inner fortified city, usually on an eminence, round which the larger city of later times gradually formed itself.]
1. The fortress commanding a city, which it serves both to protect and to keep in subjection. (Regularly used to translate Gr. ἀκρόπολις and L. arx.)
1580. Sidney, Arcadia (1598), 135 (J.). By force of straunger souldiers in Cittadels, the neasts of tyrannie.
1598. Florio, Citadella … a citadell, castell, or spacious fort built not onely to defend the citie, but also to keepe the same in awe and subiection.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. i. 292. Meete me by and by at the Cittadell.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., To Rdr. 57. In every so built city, I will have … a citadella to command it.
1697. Potter, Antiq. Greece (1715), I. ii. 7. This was the Acropolis or Cittadel.
1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., 313. Which ships … came to an anchor in the Carenage, behind the citadel of Fort Royal.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, II. 211. Theseus, The citadel of Corinth towering high above all the land.
2. gen. A strong fortress, a stronghold.
1798. Southey, Lyric Poems, Sp. Armada. Each like some moving citadel, On through the waves they sail sublime.
1839. Thirlwall, Greece, I. 363. To collect all the remaining strength of Messenia in a mountain citadel.
1877. Kinglake, Crimea, III. i. 93. Advancing to attack a field Citadel.
b. transf. and fig.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 773. As Bees … on the smoothed Plank, The suburb of thir Straw-built Cittadel.
1774. Burke, Amer. Tax., Wks. II. (R.). In the very head quarters, the very citadel of smuggling, the Isle of Man.
1826. Scott, Woodst., i. Within these citadels of superstition.
1856. Mrs. Stowe, Dred, II. xiii. Life now seemed to have retreated to the citadel of the brain.
3. The heavily plated erection containing the guns, in an ironclad ship of war. Hence Citadel deck, applied in some merchant steamers to the ‘hurricane’ or ‘promenade’ deck.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 22 Oct., 11/1. Above the dining saloon is the social or music room, situated on the citadel deck.
