cottage

noun

cot·​tage ˈkä-tij 

1

: the dwelling of a farm laborer or small farmer

2

: a usually small frame one-family house

3

: a small detached dwelling unit at an institution

4

: a usually small house for vacation use

cottagey

ˈkä-ti-jē 

adjective

Synonyms

• bach [New Zealand]
• cabin
• camp
• chalet
• lodge

Examples of cottage in a Sentence

We rented a cottage for the weekend.

She owns a cottage at the beach.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sandy beaches and waterfront views on both sides make the five-bedroom main house and two-bedroom cottage a rustic refuge. —Mary Forgione, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

This cottage is the stuff of fairytales, with a small, warm kitchen and beautiful Germanic style detailing on the outside. —Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024

At Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell’s cottage in the Cotswolds, a small fire prompted them to rethink the entire color palette for the better. —Elizabeth Metcalfe, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024

Earlier this year, residents of Bishop Monkton, a village in north Yorkshire, were distressed when a thirty-foot topiary cockerel in a cottage front garden was suddenly felled by the home’s new owner. —Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cotage "holding of a free peasant, the peasant's dwelling on such a holding," borrowed from Anglo-French, "tenure of a free peasant owing rent to a lord, rent paid for such a holding," probably from Middle English cot or cote "dwelling of a rural laborer, hut" + Anglo-French -age -age — more at cot entry 1, cote entry 1

Note: Regarding the status of such a holding, see note at cottar.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cottage

• Cape Cod cottage
• cottage cheese
• cottage curtains
• cottage hospital
• cottage industry
• cottage pie
• cottage pudding
• cottage tulip
• tied cottage

Kids Definition

cottage

noun

cot·​tage ˈkät-ij 

1

: a small one-family house

2

: a small house for vacation use