Sc. and dial. [f. COT sb.1, COTE sb.1 + HOUSE sb.]
1. A small cottage; spec. in Scotland, the house of a cottar.
(Although usually spelt cot-, the actual word in the south of Scotland is cote-, pronounced the same as coat, with the long o that has arisen from original short o in an open syllable, as in OE. cŏ-te, ME. cō-te.)
1549. Compl. Scot., xi. 96. Ne scottis man suld duel in ane house that vas loftit, bot rather in ane litil cot house.
1685. R. Hamilton, Lett., in Faithf. Contendings (1780), 198. Among the Cott-houses of Scotland.
1795. H. Macneill, Will & Jean, II. vi. Twice a-week to Maggie’s cot-house, Swift by post the papers fled.
1858. Mrs. Oliphant, Laird of Norlaw, I. 258. ‘That I couldna make a cothouse in Kirkbride … look like hame to my own bairns?’
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Cot-house, the most usual name for a cottage; the latter is hardly ever heard among those who live in one.
2. A slight shelter; a shed, outhouse, etc.
1606. Dekker, Sev. Sinnes, III. (Arb.), 27. Creeping into the Beadles Cothouse.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 423. Londoners … laugh at strong walled cities, as cotte houses for women [muliercularum habitacula].
1871. J. R. Wise, New Forest, Gloss., Cot-house, an outhouse, shed.
