cottage

The word “cottage” means a small house, typically simple and often found in the countryside. In plain terms, a small, cosy house, often in the country or by the coast — sometimes a main home, sometimes a holiday retreat.

“Cottage” is pronounced KOT-ihj (/ˈkɒt.ɪd͡ʒ/ in IPA).

Here is “cottage” used in a sentence: “They rented a stone cottage in the Cotswolds for the weekend.”

“Cottage” is a noun.

The word “cottage” comes from French. From Old Northern French cot/cote ("hut"), ultimately from Old Norse kot — the same root that gives German Kate and Swedish kåta.

“Cottage” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Cottage” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small house, typically simple and often found in the countryside.

A cottage is a type of house — specifically a small, simple one, traditionally found in the countryside. "House" is the general word for any dwelling, while "cottage" implies modest size, cosy character, and often a rural or holiday setting.

Both are small, simple dwellings, but a cabin suggests a rougher structure, often associated with log construction and remote woodland or mountain settings. A cottage suggests a more finished, homely house in the countryside or a village, and in many regions it also means a holiday home.

In one common usage, especially in North America, a cottage is any second home used for holidays or getaways, regardless of its size. In that sense the word describes the home's purpose — relaxation and escape — rather than a literally small building.

A cottage industry is small-scale production carried out in people's homes rather than in factories — the "cottage" evokes work done in a small, simple house. Today the phrase covers almost any modest home-based business, such as handmade goods sold online.