cottage

noun

cot·​tage ˈkä-tij How to pronounce cottage (audio)
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 adjective

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
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.
That cottage as well as all the others come with discounts to the Cog Railway and some local theaters, as well as access to the pool and gym at the Mountain View Grand. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025 Their family, unlike the families of most of Lilian’s schoolmates, lived not in an apartment building with central heating and running water but in a one-room cottage, which was no more than a shack. Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 Doze in a river house on the banks of the Atchafalaya or in an 1840s cottage turned bed-and-breakfast on the shores of Lake Martin. Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2025 The stone-and-thatch rooms and freestanding cottages are built from local materials, designed by two Frank Lloyd Wright alums to blend into the landscape, and have wooden four-poster beds; some cottages sit along a rocky volcanic cliff with terraces jutting over the sea. Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cottage

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cottage was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cottage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottage. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

cottage

noun
cot·​tage ˈkät-ij How to pronounce cottage (audio)
1
: a small one-family house
2
: a small house for vacation use

More from Merriam-Webster on cottage

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