Middle Ages: Glossary 2

keep: the strongest or central tower of a castle.

kingdom: a country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen.

knight: a medieval gentleman-soldier, usually high-born, raised by a sovereign to privileged military status after training as a page and squire.

moat: a deep, wide defensive ditch surrounding a castle or town, typically filled with water.

mosque: a Muslim place of worship and prayer.

nobleman: man (or woman) who belongs to the aristocracy.

peasant: a member of the class constituted by small farmers and tenants, sharecroppers, and labourers on the land where they form the main labour force in agriculture.

pilgrim: a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.

reconquest: second or new acquisition by physical or moral force.

sword: a weapon with a long metal blade and a hilt with a handguard, used for thrusting or striking.

synagogue: a building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and prayer.