chalet

noun

cha·​let sha-ˈlā How to pronounce chalet (audio)
ˈsha-(ˌ)lā
Synonyms of chaletnext
1
: a remote herdsman's hut in the Alps
2
a
: a Swiss dwelling with unconcealed structural members and a wide overhang at the front and sides
b
: a cottage or house in chalet style

Illustration of chalet

Illustration of chalet
  • chalet 2a

Synonyms

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Examples of chalet in a Sentence

We stayed overnight at a ski chalet. a mountain chalet for weekend getaways
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Considering the chalets in Gstaad and Aspen are some of the most spectacular on the planet, Alpine Style is a true compendium of resort luxury. —Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024 Brosnan will play seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper, who operates a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with daughter Sydney. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024 It’s comprised of two chalets that, taken together, can accommodate up to 30 guests. —Everett Potter, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 These will be categorized into 10 different residence categories from one-bedroom apartments to chalets and villas, as well as nine exclusive penthouses spanning between 10,453 square feet and 14,484 square feet. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chalet 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, borrowed from Franco-Provençal of Switzerland (and adjacent Alpine regions of France and Italy) tsalẹ̀, tchalè "cabin in upland summer pastures used as a residence and for processing milk into butter and cheese, pasture in the vicinity of such a structure," from tsal-, tchal-, stem probably meaning "shelter" seen as an underived noun in Old Occitan cala "cove, inlet" (also in Spanish & Catalan, and as a loanword from Spanish in Italian & Portuguese, probably a borrowing from a western Mediterranean substratal language) + -ẹ̀, -è -et entry 1

Note: A display of the variants found in Franco-Provençal of Switzerland can be seen in Glossaire des patois de la Suisse romande (tome 3, p. 270). The word occurs as chaletus in Latin documents from present-day Vaud canton beginning in the fourteenth century. As chalet the word is first attested in metropolitan French in 1723; it received wide circulation through its use in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's novel Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse (1761).

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chalet was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near chalet

chaldron

chalet

Chaleur Bay

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Chalet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalet. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

chalet

noun
cha·​let sha-ˈlā How to pronounce chalet (audio)
ˈshal-ˌā
1
: a herdsman's hut in the Alps away from a town or village
2
a
: a Swiss dwelling with a roof that sticks far out past the walls
b
: a cottage built to look like a chalet

More from Merriam-Webster on chalet

Nglish: Translation of chalet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chalet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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