shanty

¹ American  

[shan-tee] / ˈʃæn ti /

noun

plural

shanties

1. a crudely built hut, cabin, or house.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a shanty or shanties.

   a shanty quarter outside the town walls.

2. of a low economic or social class, especially when living in a shanty.

   shanty people.

verb (used without object)

shantied, shantying

1. to inhabit a shanty.

shanty ² American  

[shan-tee] / ˈʃæn ti /

Also chanty, sometimes shantey

noun

plural

shanties

1. a sailors' song, especially one sung in rhythm to work.

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shanty ¹ British  

/ ˈʃæntɪ /

noun

1. a ramshackle hut; crude dwelling

2. a public house, esp an unlicensed one

3. 1. a log bunkhouse at a lumber camp

   2. the camp itself

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shanty ² British  

/ ˈʃæntɪ, ˈʃæntɪ, ˈtʃæn- /

noun

1. a song originally sung by sailors, esp a rhythmic one forming an accompaniment to work

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Other Word Forms

• shantylike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of shanty¹

1810–20; probably < Canadian French chantier lumber camp, hut; French: yard, depot, gantry, stand for barrels < Latin cant ( h ) ērius rafter, prop, literally, horse in poor condition, nag < Greek kanthḗlios pack ass

Origin of shanty²

First recorded 1855–60; alteration of French chanter “to sing”; see origin at chant

Explanation

A shanty is a small, rough shelter or dwelling. Modern shanties are commonly found in shantytowns, informal neighborhoods made up of crude, homemade shelters. A crude, run-down shack can be called a shanty, and the temporary, portable structures that ice fishermen set up for shelter are also shanties. This sense of shanty derives from the French Canadian chantier, or "lumberjack's headquarters." Shanty can also refer to a song that sailors sing while they work. This meaning comes from chanty, "boisterous sailor song," from the French chanter, "to sing."

Example Sentences

Can it be Seafood Shanty, tucked into a sprawling mall in Southeast Pennsylvania?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

In 2000 the New York Times reported that one of the leading wholesalers, Shell Shanty, sold more than 1 million a year.

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025

In the late 1950s, he played with a folk trio, the Shanty Boys, who recorded for Elektra Records.

From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2023

So it brings a smile that the book also profiles something easily found — the last roadhouse still operating on a local highway, the Shanty Tavern at Northeast 90th Street and Lake City Way.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2022

It’s more like living in Disney Shanty Town.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

Related Words

• cabin
• cottage
• hut
• lean-to