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

• cabin

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

Another boon of this cottage garden staple is its deer resistance. —Lauren David, Southern Living, 6 July 2025

She was always fascinated with food systems, a jack-of-all-trades who learned to garden as a child and had years of experience baking cottage foods. —Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 2 July 2025

This restaurant seamlessly blends Texas-style barbecue and Southeast Asian flavors, all served in a nearly century-old cottage near Riverside Drive. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The tale toggles between Los Angeles during the 1950s McCarthy era, and 2018, when Chazan's granddaughter Gemma decamps to his old Carmel cottage to meet her own personal and professional destiny. —Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 2 July 2025

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

Rhymes for cottage

• pottage
• wattage

Kids Definition

cottage

noun

cot·​tage ˈkät-ij 

1

: a small one-family house

2

: a small house for vacation use