Cottage

Pronunciation

Origin

Anglo-Norman, from Old Northern French cot, cote ("hut, cottage") + -age 'surrounding property'. Old Northern French cote probably from Old Norse kot 'hut', cognate of Old English cot of same Proto-Germanic origin.

Full definition of cottage

Noun

1. A small house; a cot; a hut.
2. A seasonal home of any size or stature. A recreational home or a home in a remote location.
• 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ and if you don't look out there's likely to be some nice, lively dog taking an interest in your underpinning.”
3. Most cottages in the area were larger and more elaborate than my home.
4. (UK, slang, dated) A public toilet.

Derived terms

• cottage cheese
• cottage hospital
• cottage industry

Verb

1. To stay at a seasonal home, to go cottaging.
2. (intransitive, British, slang) Of men: To have homosexual sex in a public lavatory; to practice cottaging.----