lodge

¹ American  

[loj] / lɒdʒ /

noun

1. a small, makeshift or crude shelter or habitation, as of boughs, poles, skins, earth, or rough boards; cabin or hut.

2. a house used as a temporary residence, as in the hunting season.

3. a summer cottage.

4. a house or cottage, as in a park or on an estate, occupied by a gatekeeper, caretaker, gardener, or other employee.

5. a resort hotel, motel, or inn.

6. the main building of a camp, resort hotel, or the like.

7. the meeting place of a branch of certain fraternal organizations.

8. the members composing the branch.

   The lodge is planning a picnic.

   Synonyms:

   society, association, club

9. any of various North American Indian dwellings, as a teepee or long house.

10. the Indians who live in such a dwelling or a family or unit of North American Indians.

11. the home of a college head at Cambridge University, England.

12. the den of an animal or group of animals, especially beavers.

---

verb (used without object)

lodged, lodging

1. to have a habitation or quarters, especially temporarily, as in a hotel, motel, or inn.

   We lodged in a guest house.

2. to live in rented quarters in another's house.

   He lodged with a local family during his college days.

3. to be fixed, implanted, or caught in a place or position; come to rest; stick.

   The bullet lodged in his leg.

verb (used with object)

lodged, lodging

1. to furnish with a habitation or quarters, especially temporarily; accommodate.

   Can you lodge us for the night?

   Synonyms:

   quarter, house

2. to furnish with a room or rooms in one's house for payment; have as a lodger.

   a boardinghouse that lodges oil workers.

3. to serve as a residence, shelter, or dwelling for; shelter.

   The château will lodge the ambassador during his stay.

4. to put, store, or deposit, as in a place, for storage or keeping; stow.

   to lodge one's valuables in a hotel safe.

5. to bring or send into a particular place or position.

   Synonyms:

   settle, plant, set, place

6. to house or contain.

   The spinal canal lodges and protects the spinal cord.

7. to vest (power, authority, etc.).

8. to put or bring (information, a complaint, etc.) before a court or other authority.

9. to beat down or lay flat, as vegetation in a storm.

   A sudden hail had lodged the crops.

10. to track (a deer) to its lair.

Lodge ² American  

[loj] / lɒdʒ /

noun

1. Henry Cabot, 1850–1924, U.S. public servant and author: senator 1893–1924.

2. his grandson Henry Cabot, Jr., 1902–85, U.S. journalist, statesman, and diplomat.

3. Sir Oliver Joseph, 1851–1940, English physicist and writer.

4. Thomas, 1558?–1625, English poet and dramatist.

---

lodge ¹ British  

/ lɒdʒ /

noun

1. a small house at the entrance to the grounds of a country mansion, usually occupied by a gatekeeper or gardener

2. a house or cabin used occasionally, as for some seasonal activity

3. a central building in a resort, camp, or park

4. (capital when part of a name) a large house or hotel

5. a room for the use of porters in a university, college, etc

6. a local branch or chapter of certain societies

7. the building used as the meeting place of such a society

8. the dwelling place of certain animals, esp the dome-shaped den constructed by beavers

9. a hut or tent of certain North American Indian peoples

10. (at Cambridge University) the residence of the head of a college

---

verb

1. to provide or be provided with accommodation or shelter, esp rented accommodation

2. (intr) to live temporarily, esp in rented accommodation

3. to implant, embed, or fix or be implanted, embedded, or fixed

4. (tr) to deposit or leave for safety, storage, etc

5. (tr) to bring (a charge or accusation) against someone

6. (tr; often foll by in or with) to place (authority, power, etc) in the control (of someone)

7. archaic to exist or be present (in)

8. (tr) (of wind, rain, etc) to beat down (crops)

Lodge ² British  

/ lɒdʒ /

noun

1. David ( John ). born 1935, British novelist and critic. His books include Changing Places (1975), Small World (1984), Nice Work (1988), Therapy (1995), and Thinks... (2001)

2. Sir Oliver ( Joseph ). 1851–1940, British physicist, who made important contributions to electromagnetism, radio reception, and attempted to detect the ether. He also studied allegedly psychic phenomena

3. Thomas. ?1558–1625, English writer. His romance Rosalynde (1590) supplied the plot for Shakespeare's As You Like It

---

Lodge ³ British  

/ lɒdʒ /

noun

1. the official Canberra residence of the Australian Prime Minister

---

Other Word Forms

• lodgeable adjective

Etymology

Origin of lodge

1175–1225; Middle English logge < Old French loge < Medieval Latin laubia, lobia; lobby

Explanation

A lodge is an inn where travelers stay overnight. If you’re in need of a night’s sleep while traveling an out of the way country road, you’re more likely to find yourself at a lodge than a fancy or chain hotel. A lodge can also be a cabin in the woods; like an inn, it’s usually a temporary accommodation. But if you join your local lodge, you’ll be expected to be a regular visitor, at least at the monthly meetings. Lodge is also a verb, meaning to stay temporarily, or to give someone a place to stay. If you lodge a toothpick between your teeth, though, you’ll probably hope it won’t stay there too long.

Example Sentences

The chalet and glen continued to be popular with both tourists and locals and the building was used as a lodge and cafe for many years as part of the treasured national glen.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Investigators discovered a link to Bagur, who is a business coach rival of Dini's as well as being the 69-year-old "venerable master" of the Athanor lodge.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

An avid outdoorsman, Webb managed a farm and hunting lodge and enjoyed offshore fishing and boating.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Locals give directions to out-of-towners using churches as landmarks, and a Masonic lodge was promoting a squirrel hunt one recent day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Neewo curled with Omakayas around the tiny lodge fire.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

• chalet
• cottage
• country house
• dormitory
• dwelling
• hostel
• hotel
• hut
• inn
• motel
• shack
• shelter
• tavern