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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Book a room or chalet with a fireplace for an especially cozy stay. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2026 Bi-level lofts are great for friends or families, and the three-bedroom penthouse suite feels like a private chalet. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026 That was a puzzle for Marie, at least at first, given that the objective was to evoke the mood of a beach retreat rather than that of a mountain chalet. — Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 23 June 2026 Double glass doors open onto the home proper, which continues the chalet-like aesthetic, with wooden walls and flooring. — Adam Williams july 01, New Atlas, 1 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 10 Jul. 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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