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• château
  château

  noun

  (in France) a castle or fortress.
• chateau
  chateau

  noun

  a country house, castle, or manor house, esp in France

château

American  

[sha-toh, shah-toh] / ʃæˈtoʊ, ʃɑˈtoʊ /

Or chateau

noun

plural

châteaux, châteaus

1. (in France) a castle or fortress.

2. a stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle.

3. a country estate, especially a fine one, in France or elsewhere on the Continent.

4. (often initial capital letter) a winegrower's estate, especially in the Bordeaux region of France: often used as part of the name of a wine.

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chateau British  

/ ˈʃætəʊ, ʃɑto /

noun

1. a country house, castle, or manor house, esp in France

2. (in Quebec) the residence of a seigneur or (formerly) a governor

3. (in the name of a wine) estate or vineyard

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Etymology

Origin of château

1730–40; < French ≪ Latin castellum castellum

Explanation

A chateau is a French country house. Chateaus are large and luxurious. This is one of many English words that come straight from another language: in this case, French. A chateau is a house—or castle—in the country that’s the opposite of a shack. A chateau is a big home for wealthy folks. A poor farmer could never afford a chateau, but a wealthy businessman might have several. However, like a farm, a chateau is in the country. Chateaus are associated with wine; many wines are named after nearby chateaus.