chalet

noun

cha·​let sha-ˈlā How to pronounce chalet (audio)
ˈsha-(ˌ)lā
Synonyms of chaletnext
1
: a remote herdsman's hut in the Alps
2
a
: a Swiss dwelling with unconcealed structural members and a wide overhang at the front and sides
b
: a cottage or house in chalet style

Illustration of chalet

Illustration of chalet
  • chalet 2a

Synonyms of chalet

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Examples of chalet in a Sentence

We stayed overnight at a ski chalet. a mountain chalet for weekend getaways
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Designed by the Swiss practice Bayrou Architects, this 5,000-square-foot multi-level chalet sits on a sunny half-acre lot in the always spectacular Alps. — Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Once a meager coffee plantation, now an eco lodge consisting of eight chalets on stilts. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026 The former Duchess of York, 66, has allegedly been living at her ex-boyfriend Paddy McNally’s chalet in Verbier, Switzerland. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 24 July 2026 The chalet was designed by Jean Gagnier and evokes the cozy feelings of alpine living—from the outdoor fire pit to the steamy on-site hot tub. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chalet

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, borrowed from Franco-Provençal of Switzerland (and adjacent Alpine regions of France and Italy) tsalẹ̀, tchalè "cabin in upland summer pastures used as a residence and for processing milk into butter and cheese, pasture in the vicinity of such a structure," from tsal-, tchal-, stem probably meaning "shelter" seen as an underived noun in Old Occitan cala "cove, inlet" (also in Spanish & Catalan, and as a loanword from Spanish in Italian & Portuguese, probably a borrowing from a western Mediterranean substratal language) + -ẹ̀, -è -et entry 1

Note: A display of the variants found in Franco-Provençal of Switzerland can be seen in Glossaire des patois de la Suisse romande (tome 3, p. 270). The word occurs as chaletus in Latin documents from present-day Vaud canton beginning in the fourteenth century. As chalet the word is first attested in metropolitan French in 1723; it received wide circulation through its use in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's novel Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse (1761).

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chalet was in 1782

Rhymes for chalet

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Browse Nearby Words

chaldron
chalet
Chaleur Bay
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Cite this Entry

“Chalet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalet. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

chalet

noun
cha·​let sha-ˈlā How to pronounce chalet (audio)
ˈshal-ˌā
1
: a herdsman's hut in the Alps away from a town or village
2
a
: a Swiss dwelling with a roof that sticks far out past the walls
b
: a cottage built to look like a chalet

More from Merriam-Webster on chalet

Nglish: Translation of chalet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chalet

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