Plural of gatehouse; small buildings built over or beside gates, especially in castle walls, that were used to house guards or toll collectors.
From Middle English 'gate' (opening in a wall) and 'house,' combining two Old English roots. Gatehouses became standard features of medieval fortifications and later estates.
Medieval gatehouses were the original security booths—guards lived there, collected taxes from travelers, and could lock down the whole castle if invaders approached, making them the most important real estate in a kingdom's defense.
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