château

or cha·teau

[ sha-toh; French shah-toh ]

/ ʃæˈtoʊ; French ʃɑˈtoʊ /

noun, plural châ·teaux [sha-tohz; French shah-toh] /ʃæˈtoʊz; French ʃɑˈtoʊ/, châ·teaus.

(in France) a castle or fortress.

a stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle.

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

(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.

RELATED WORDS

mansion, castle, villa, manor, estate

Nearby words

Origin of château

1730–40; < French ≪ Latin castellum castellum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chateaux

Nevers is a revelation for us both, a wonderful town nestled on the Loire and bursting with cathedrals, chateaux and history.
Discovering The Charms Of La France Profonde|Emma Woolf|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They make up a two-book set with recipes from all 85 Relais Chateaux chefs in North America.
Fresh Picks|Daniel Boulud|November 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Two chateaux which began to burn are saved by the National Guard.
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 2 (of 6)|Hippolyte A. Taine
The whole is thick set with farm-houses, chateaux, and the bastides of the inhabitants of Lyons.
Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson|Thomas Jefferson

Luxury properly belongs to the boudoir and the guest-chamber, to great houses and chateaux.
The Country Doctor|Honore de Balzac
As one approaches Mcon by road from the north or west, great villas and chateaux de commerce line every kilometre of the way.
Castles and Chateaux of Old Burgundy|Francis Miltoun
Chateaux have been going up in smoke during the last fortnight.
Scaramouche|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for chateaux

chateau

chteau

/ (ˈʃætəʊ, French ʃɑto) /

noun plural -teaux (-təʊ, -təʊz, French -to) or -teaus

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

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

(in the name of a wine) estate or vineyard

Word Origin for chateau

C18: from French, from Old French chastel, from Latin castellum fortress, castle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for chateaux

chateau

c.1739, from French château, from Old French chastel (12c.), from Latin castellum "castle" (see castle (n.)).