gazebo
1 Americannoun
plural
gazebos, gazeboes-
a structure, as an open or latticework pavilion or summerhouse, built on a site that provides an attractive view.
-
a small roofed structure that is screened on all sides, used for outdoor entertaining and dining.
noun
plural
gazebosnoun
Etymology
Origin of gazebo
First recorded in 1745–55; origin uncertain
Explanation
A gazebo is a small, freestanding, outdoor structure that has a roof but is open on all sides. If it starts raining suddenly while you're walking through the park, you can run to the gazebo to get out of the rain. Gazebo is unusual in that it's an imitation Latin word. Experts believe it comes from a joking twist on the word gaze, as in "I gaze at you from my gazebo." It's meant to sound Latin, modeled after words in the future tense that end with the suffix -ebo, like videbo, "I shall see." If you want to gaze at your yard from an octagonal covered porch, you should consider building a gazebo.
Vocabulary lists containing gazebo
Drama
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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Guts
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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.
We meet in a park and sit under a cafe's gazebo to escape the rain.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
It’s almost as if the fiesta never occurred, but we catch a glimpse of the blue and white neckerchief of one clan or another tied to a column of the gazebo.
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
The grill center in the expansive gazebo provides an ideal setting to host guests for outdoor dining and lounging next to the pool.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025
Wingate’s brown tent sits near a wooden gazebo with chipped white paint.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024
Seth started across the lush, neatly mown lawn toward the nearest gazebo.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
