rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryshantyRoughly built hut
noun

shanty

SHAN-tee/ˈʃænti/

A small, roughly built hut.

A small shanty made of scrap wood stands beside the river.

Small crudely built timber hut with patched plank walls and simple corrugated roof, visibly makeshift but intact, isolated on small ground patch; no residents, poverty caricature or text.
Etymology
shantyCanadian Frenchlumberjack's headquarters

Shanty is said to come from chantier, meaning a lumberjack's headquarters. On that account, a name for a logging base became a word for a rough dwelling.

In context

Anything Goes With James English98:31
other parts of the Middle East and India as soon as they land in Dubai their passports get taken by the traffickers so they can't leave they put in these Shanty shacks and girls are used for sex
Navy Seal Remi Adeleke Tells His Story

More examples

  • Rain leaks through the roof of their shanty.
  • The workers built shanties from plywood and sheets of tin.
  • We take shelter from the wind in an abandoned shanty.

Forms

shanty · shanties

Similar words

shack
Likewise suggests rough construction, often emphasizing poor condition.
hut
A small, simple shelter, not necessarily roughly built.
cabin
Usually a sturdier small dwelling, often built from wood.