bungalow
Americannoun
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bungalows
plural
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a cottage of one story.
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(in India) a one-storied thatched or tiled house, usually surrounded by a veranda.
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(in the U.S.) a derivation of the Indian house type, popular especially during the first quarter of the 20th century, usually having one and a half stories, a widely bracketed gable roof, and a multi-windowed dormer and frequently built of rustic materials.
noun
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a one-storey house, sometimes with an attic
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(in India) a one-storey house, usually surrounded by a veranda
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bungalow
First recorded in 1670–80, bungalow is from the Hindi word banglā literally, of Bengal
Explanation
A bungalow is a little house. If you’re not ready for the three-story house in the suburbs just yet, you might try living in a bungalow. The word bungalow was originally used to describe the temporary houses set up by English sailors traveling to India to work for the East India Company. These little houses were often just one story high with a thatched roof. Nowadays, the word bungalow can be used to describe any one story house. Think of the little cabin you slept in at summer camp — that’s a kind of bungalow.
Vocabulary lists containing bungalow
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A chic bohemian bungalow for her and her three-legged cat Zsa Zsa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
While the rest of the cast would party on location in Fiji after a day’s work, Cregger, who’d gotten sober, would go back to his bungalow and work on a script.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Located near the ocean, the first home is a 1,300-square-foot bungalow with two bedrooms and a streamlined gallery kitchen featuring Caesarstone counters and Miele appliances.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
A man has died in hospital days after a suspected gas explosion at a bungalow.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The two constables had been sent out to join those looking for Pierrot and Jackson, and more policemen were supposed to be on their way down to the bungalow in case Robbie had gone there.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Caravans have also been placed on the site opposite a cul-de-sac of bungalows on Nantlais.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Plans for the property have included resort bungalows and private estate villas, as well as environmentally focused features such as solar power.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
It took a lot to bestir Angelenos from their bungalows and Buicks, but their throats felt like sandpaper, and their chests hurt like the blazes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
At Kisawa, 14 airy thatched-roof bungalows make up eight residences, each with its own private beach and infinity pool.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
They were pursuing the sow along a road on the edge of the resort where bungalows were fronted by small patches of gardens surrounded by fences.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
