bungalow
Americannoun
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a cottage of one story.
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(in India) a one-storied thatched or tiled house, usually surrounded by a veranda.
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(in the U.S.) a derivation of the Indian house type, popular especially during the first quarter of the 20th century, usually having one and a half stories, a widely bracketed gable roof, and a multi-windowed dormer and frequently built of rustic materials.
noun
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a one-storey house, sometimes with an attic
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(in India) a one-storey house, usually surrounded by a veranda
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bungalow
First recorded in 1670–80, bungalow is from the Hindi word banglā literally, of Bengal
Explanation
A bungalow is a little house. If you’re not ready for the three-story house in the suburbs just yet, you might try living in a bungalow. The word bungalow was originally used to describe the temporary houses set up by English sailors traveling to India to work for the East India Company. These little houses were often just one story high with a thatched roof. Nowadays, the word bungalow can be used to describe any one story house. Think of the little cabin you slept in at summer camp — that’s a kind of bungalow.
Vocabulary lists containing bungalow
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Singapore police seized a luxury bungalow this month worth more than $40 million as part of fraud investigations linked to the alleged transfer of AI chips.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
After Ruffin and his wife, Jonni Miller, lost their 1942 bungalow, his first instinct was to rebuild it exactly as it was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
In the heart of Lead, this 1925 bungalow overlooks the Homestake Gold Mine Open Cut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Next to it, steps from his hacienda-style home, is a bungalow he uses as an office.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
They crossed over the river into East Nashville and drove past coffee shops and restaurants until they pulled up to a restored Craftsman-style bungalow.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
With Craftsman bungalows and tree-lined streets, the city still epitomizes suburban U.S.A. — but now has a hip new twist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
These newly wealthy-on-paper buyers are checking out bungalows and high-rise apartments with asking prices around $1.2 million to $1.5 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 13, 2026
Although many houses are modest bungalows, high-end homes can top $3 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
"What I want to see is solar panels on pensioner bungalows and see those pensioners advocating for retrofitting," she told the meeting.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025
“My husband says all these big estates will be chopped up in time and bungalows built,” said the woman.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
