hut

American  

[huht] / hʌt /

noun

huts plural

1. a small or humble dwelling of simple construction, especially one made of natural materials, as of logs or grass.

   Synonyms:

   hovel, shed

2. a simple roofed shelter, often with one or two sides left open.

3. Military. a wooden or metal structure for the temporary housing of troops.

---

verb (used with object)

hutted, hutting

1. to furnish with a hut as temporary housing; billet.

verb (used without object)

hutted, hutting

1. to lodge or take a shelter in a hut.

hut British  

/ hʌt /

noun

1. a small house or shelter, usually made of wood or metal

2. (on a sheep or cattle station) accommodation for the shearers, stockmen, etc

3. a shelter for mountaineers, skiers, etc

---

verb

1. to furnish with or live in a hut

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hutlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• huts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hut

1645–55; < French hutte < Frankish, cognate with Old Saxon hutta, Old High German hutt ( e ) a < West Germanic *hudjā; akin to hide ¹

Explanation

If you've ever camped under a wooden lean-to, you know what a hut is — it's a simple, usually temporary shelter that doesn't do much more than keep the rain off your head. A hut can be built from many different materials, including wood, stone, snow, or even cardboard. What all huts have in common is a simple design and the intention that it provide a short-term shelter from the weather. Campers, hikers, and skiers often rest or sleep in huts. The word comes from the French hutte, "cottage," which has its root in the Old English word for "to hide," hydan. Hut was originally used in English to describe military dwellings.

Example Sentences

Elvin added interest in the hut had been "good" so far, with a number of inquiries already received.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Shortly after arriving in Pyongyang, the American evangelist visited a humble thatched hut on the outskirts of Pyongyang where Kim was said to have been born on April 15, 1912.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

A group of young people sheltered under a thatched hut by the side of the road, absorbed in a game of poker.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

Malick Diop grew up in Senegal in a thatched-roof hut with a dirt floor, sooty walls and roaming goats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Without even knowing where he was going he found himself running toward his beach, toward Zheng’s hut.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

Related Words

• box
• bungalow
• cabin
• chalet
• cot
• cottage
• hovel
• lean-to
• lodge
• shack
• shanty
• shed
• shelter
• summer house