definitions

pied-à-terre

[ pee-ey-duh-tair, -dah-, pyey- ]
/ piˌeɪ dəˈtɛər, -dɑ-, ˌpyeɪ- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pied-à-terre ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pieds-à-terre [pee-ey-duh-tair, -dah-, pyey-] /piˌeɪ dəˈtɛər, -dɑ-, ˌpyeɪ-/,

a residence, as an apartment, for part-time or temporary use.

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RELATED WORDS

apartment, shelter, motel, hotel, resort, inn, lodge, hostel, building, box, dwelling, residence, shack, condominium, mansion, home, condo, abode, room, palace

Nearby words

pied wagtail, pied-billed grebe, pied-de-biche, pied-de-biche spoon, pied-piping, pied-à-terre, piedfort, piedmont, piedmontese, piedmontite, piedra

Origin of pied-à-terre

1820–30; < French: literally, foot on ground
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pied-a-terre

  • Indeed, Dr. Lyschinski's was hardly more than a pied-a-terre for him: he never stayed long, and generally came unexpectedly.

    Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

  • Blakeney had more than one pied-a-terre in Paris, and never stayed longer than two or three days in any of these.

    El Dorado|Baroness Orczy

British Dictionary definitions for pied-a-terre

pied-à-terre

/ (ˌpjeɪtɑːˈtɛə) /

noun plural pieds-à-terre (ˌpjeɪtɑːˈtɛə)

a flat, house, or other lodging for secondary or occasional use

Word Origin for pied-à-terre

French, literally: foot on (the) ground
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