# gatehouse

/ɡˈeɪthaʊs/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gatehouse
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

a small building at the entrance to a large house, park, or castle, where a guard or keeper stays and checks who comes in.

For teachers: a small building at the entrance to a walled estate, castle, or compound, typically occupied by a gatekeeper and controlling access to the grounds.

## Examples

- The guard waits inside the old gatehouse.
- Visitors stop at the gatehouse to show their passes before driving up to the main house.
- The ivy-covered gatehouse, with its single lit window, stood as the last inhabited outpost of an estate whose great hall had long fallen silent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.