hut

American  

[huht] / hʌt /

noun

1. a small or humble dwelling of simple construction, especially one made of natural materials, as of logs or grass.

   Synonyms:

   hovel, shed

2. a simple roofed shelter, often with one or two sides left open.

3. Military. a wooden or metal structure for the temporary housing of troops.

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verb (used with object)

hutted, hutting

1. to furnish with a hut as temporary housing; billet.

verb (used without object)

hutted, hutting

1. to lodge or take a shelter in a hut.

hut British  

/ hʌt /

noun

1. a small house or shelter, usually made of wood or metal

2. (on a sheep or cattle station) accommodation for the shearers, stockmen, etc

3. a shelter for mountaineers, skiers, etc

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verb

1. to furnish with or live in a hut

Other Word Forms

• hutlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hut

1645–55; < French hutte < Frankish, cognate with Old Saxon hutta, Old High German hutt ( e ) a < West Germanic *hudjā; akin to hide ¹

Explanation

If you've ever camped under a wooden lean-to, you know what a hut is — it's a simple, usually temporary shelter that doesn't do much more than keep the rain off your head. A hut can be built from many different materials, including wood, stone, snow, or even cardboard. What all huts have in common is a simple design and the intention that it provide a short-term shelter from the weather. Campers, hikers, and skiers often rest or sleep in huts. The word comes from the French hutte, "cottage," which has its root in the Old English word for "to hide," hydan. Hut was originally used in English to describe military dwellings.

Example Sentences

Malick Diop grew up in Senegal in a thatched-roof hut with a dirt floor, sooty walls and roaming goats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

On Friday he became the first retired space man to visit a new scout hut in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

"So, AI should beware - for this week's predictions I've been gazing at where his hut used to be and thinking 'what would Albert do?'"

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

On cold days, they will keep their jackets on as long as possible, before “stripping” — yes, they call it that — in the starter’s hut before they race.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

Razi led the way up the beach, threading through the coconut trees to the abandoned fisherman’s hut he knew was there.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

Related Words

• box
• bungalow
• cabin
• chalet
• cot
• cottage
• hovel
• lean-to
• lodge
• shack
• shanty
• shed
• shelter
• summer house