casita
Americannoun
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a small crude dwelling forming part of a shantytown inhabited by Mexican laborers in the southwestern United States.
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a luxurious bungalow serving as private guest accommodations at a resort hotel, especially in the southwestern United States or Mexico.
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(especially in the southwestern United States) a small house, especially one built alongside or as an addition to a larger main home.
Etymology
Origin of casita
First recorded in 1920–25; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish, equivalent to cas(a) “house, home” (from Latin ) + -ita diminutive suffix
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.
He eventually emerged on the roof of a casita identical to the one featured in his Puerto Rican residency’s set, one of two structures that served as stages and tributes to the island’s culture.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026
The set featured a traditional casita structure, block party salsa dancing, Puerto Rican flags and a mock sugarcane field.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
Doc had escaped our casita and made his way to an outdoor wedding reception to congratulate the newlyweds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
With her husband in the throes of the football season, the Riley family insisted Annie live in the casita of their Palos Verdes home.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025
The casita has been shut up since late summer, when Tío Toni disappeared.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
