Skip to Content

Cottage Vs. Cabin: Main Differences And Uses For These Words

Cottage Vs. Cabin: Main Differences And Uses For These Words

A cottage vs. cabin: What do you call a small house or shelter made of wood? This question confuses most people because the words cottage and cabin are often thrown around without a second thought. Let’s go ahead and clarify this issue.

A cottage is a seasonal or recreational home, usually small & in a remote location. In contrast, a cabin is a small dwelling especially built from logs with simple tools or a private room on a ship. The main difference is a cottage features multiple building materials while a cabin features wood.

There are different types of buildings designed for human dwelling. Cabins and cottages are great examples of such structures. Keep it here as we tell you the differences and similarities between the two terms.

writing test university

Definitions Of Cottage And Cabin

People often turn to images when searching for the differences between tangible items like cottages and cabins. However, the picture may not clarify much unless you know what you are looking at in an image. That said, the wiser thing to do would be to check for the definitions of both words from the dictionary. So, let us now focus on the definitions of cottage and cabin.

Definitions Of Cottage

Many sources define a cottage as “a small house, usually only one story.” In a sentence, “My father sold our Miami cottage after thieves broke into it last summer.”

Other sources define a cottage as “a small, modest house in a remote location, like a lake or mountain resort, owned or rented as a vacation dwelling.’ Here is an example in a sentence, “We spent our summer at a beautiful cottage in Santa Barbara.”

A cottage is also a seasonal home of any size or stature or a recreational home in a remote location. For example, “I cannot believe John spent a million dollars on the small cottage.”

Lastly, a cottage is a group of tiny, separate houses, like houses for patients at a hospital, hotel guests, or students at a boarding school. For example, in a sentence, “The school moved the students out of the Eastern cottage after the security breach.”

Definitions Of Cabin

A cabin is a small house, usually made of simple design and construction. An example in a sentence is: “I was born in a cabin because my parents could not get to the hospital in time.”

US dictionaries define a cabin as a small dwelling, specially constructed from logs with simple tools by the people who will live in it, instead of by professionals. For example, “We spent the summer building a cabin with our elder brother, Sammy.”

A cabin is also “a compartment on land mainly composed of logs.” In a sentence, “Kindly fetch me some firewood from the cabin at the back of the house.”

A cabin is an enclosed area for temporary occupancy, like the living quarters for passengers or employees. For example, “We stayed in a cabin during our research trip to Jamaica.”

People will also refer to a cabin as an enclosed space for the pilot, cargo, or passengers on an airplane or space vehicle. An example sentence is, ” The airplane passenger cabin did not have enough room for the party.”

A private room on a ship or a passenger plane with the same class of service is also called a cabin. For example, “I did not leave the cabin throughout the trip on the ship because of my motion sickness.”

In rail transport, a cabin is a signal box. However, this definition is unofficial. In India, a cabin is a private office, particularly for a professional like a doctor, lawyer, or businessman.

How To Properly Use Cottage And Cabin In A Sentence

People often throw these words irresponsibly and incorrectly because they do not know their differences. Always remember the definitions of cottage and cabin before using these words. More so, know the following before you can start using these words in sentences:

How To Use The Word Cottage

Use this word as a noun in the following contexts:

  • A small, simple house in a remote area
  • A small secluded place to live or sleep
  • An enclosed or reserved area for living
  • A private place for rest, relaxation, or vacation

The word cottage is a countable noun. Therefore, its plural form is “cottages.” For example, “Santa Barbara hosts so many cottages for tourists.”

How To Use The Word Cabin

Use the word cabin as a noun in the following contexts:

  • A place to live or sleep
  • A private room or compartment on a ship, airplane, or vehicle
  • A small wooden shelter in a wild or remote area
  • A compartment in a vehicle or airplane where a pilot or driver sits
  • A hotel or lodging establishment

This word is a countable noun whose plural form is “cabins.” For example, “We built several cabins on the remote plot of land we inherited from our grandfather.”

Word Usage Posts

Cottage Vs. Cabin: More Differences

The definitions and usage contexts above explain some of the main differences between a cabin and a cottage. However, there are a few more differences that the sections above do not touch on. Let’s look at some:

History

The word cottage came about in the late 14th century from Old French “cote,’ meaning “a cot or humble habitation.” Its forming words are “cote,” meaning “hut or cottage,” and “age,” meaning “the property attached to a cote.” The meaning, “small country residence” came about in 1765.

In contrast, the word cabin came about in the mid-14th century from Old French “cabane,” meaning “a small house or habitation, hut.” It also has roots in Old Provencal “cabana” from the Late Latin “capanna,” meaning “hut.” This word also has Modern French “cabine” and Italian “cabino” roots.

Word Pronunciation

The proper pronunciation for the word cottage is “/kot-ij/.” On the other hand, the correct way to pronounce the word cabin is “/kab-in/.” Both words have two syllables.

tired woman writing

Construction Material And Location

You can build a cottage using wood, stone, mud, or brick materials. However, cabins mostly feature wood or log construction material. Most cottages are found in remote areas like the countryside, while cabins can be in remote or inland areas.

List Of Examples Of Cottage And Cabin Use In Sentences

Most people want to study new words to add them to their vocabulary and use them in sentences. Learning the differences between confusing terms can help you achieve the same goals. Also, sentence examples always come in handy. Here are some examples with the words cottage and cabin to help you out:

Example sentences of the word cottage

  1. After hours of traveling, we arrived at a small beautiful cottage.
  2. The cottage bedroom was chilly because its door did not close.
  3. I spent most of my summer writing in a cozy cottage.
  4. The monk moved away from the city to live in a remote cottage.
  5. The nearest cottage in this region is about 20 miles from the bus station.

Example sentences of the word cabin

  1. Mary built a cabin next to Samantha’s.
  2. I will allow you to spend the night in my cabin only once.
  3. The pilot’s cabin is not as small as I assumed.
  4. I did not leave my cabin until we arrived at our destination.
  5. The scary cabin sits in a dead zone.

Conclusion

Cabin and cottage are similar words because their meanings are related. More so, they are both nouns with two syllables. However, when you dissect their meanings, you will discover their differences, and we have detailed that in the above sections. You can now use the two terms in your sentences of varying contexts.