Casa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A building or structure used primarily as a dwelling place for individuals or families ; a shelter or house typically serving as residential accommodation ; a home where people live and carry out daily activities
2. A place designed for habitation, providing shelter and security for occupants ; a domicile serving as a living space for people ; a residence intended to function as a personal or family living environment
3. A constructed place utilized for living and sleeping purposes ; a residential building offering safety and privacy ; a habitation space where personal and familial life is conducted

Etymology: The English "casa" is a borrowing from Spanish, where the word means "house" and comes from Latin "casa," a humble dwelling or hut, which is the source of the modern Spanish term. English speakers took it up for the home of a family, often with a warm, Spanish-flavored feel, as in a casa built to suggest a stay in the countryside. Its closest relative in English is an unexpected one. The French "chez," as in "chez nous" meaning "at our home," descends from the same Latin root, so the two words are doublets: one came into English through Spanish, the other through French, and both trace back to a plain word for a cottage.

Synonyms: house, home, residence, dwelling, abode