chalet

[ sha-ley, shal-ey; French shah-le ]

noun

, plural cha·lets [sha-, leyz, shal, -eyz, shah-, le].

1. a herdsman's hut in the Swiss Alps.
2. a kind of farmhouse, low and with wide eaves, common in Alpine regions.
3. any cottage, house, ski lodge, etc., built in this style.

chalet

/ ˈʃæleɪ; ʃalɛ /

noun

1. a type of wooden house of Swiss origin, typically low, with wide projecting eaves
2. a similar house used esp as a ski lodge, garden house, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of chalet¹

1810–20; < French, SwissF, equivalent to *chale shelter (cognate with Old Provençal cala cove ¹ ) + -et -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of chalet¹

C19: from French (Swiss dialect)

Example Sentences

He had four properties in south-east England including a house in Surrey, as well as a holiday chalet, the Met said.

From BBC

The spot in question is Espresso Chalet, a roadside gem on Washington’s Highway 2, which stretches across the Cascades between Everett and Spokane.

From Seattle Times

Espresso Chalet, however, was the very first coffee stand on Highway 2 — owners Mark and Sandy Klein have run the spot for the past 31 years, and have the paperwork to prove it.

From Seattle Times

He subsequently bought the land and, as he puts it, “went out there with a saw” to carve out a spot that he turned into Espresso Chalet.

From Seattle Times

The “chalet” is actually a wee trailer covered with a peaked Alpine-style roof, funky and drenched in patina, around which are racks of Bigfoot-themed T-shirts, knickknacks and parapharnelia all encased in plastic against the persistent mountain drizzle.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• cabin
• hut