/sha lay", shal"ay/ ; Fr. /shah le"/ , n. , pl. chalets /sha layz", shal"ayz/ ; Fr. /shah le"/ .
1. a herdsman's hut in the Swiss Alps.
2. a kind of farmhouse, low and with wide eaves, common in Alpine regions.
3. any cottage, house, ski lodge, etc., built in this style.
[ 1810-20; chale shelter (c. OPr cala COVE 1 ) + -et -ET ]