April 30, 2020 - Sitooterie

Word of the Day

Sitooterie

Pronunciation

[sih-TOO-ter-ee]

Popularity Over Time

Part of speech

Noun

Origin

Scottish, 1920s

Definition(s)

1. A small building or area where people can sit outside.

1. A summer house, conservatory, or gazebo.

Used in a sentence

1. The sitooterie was set up for a small afternoon party.
2. She enjoyed being able to relax and read in the sitooterie for hours.

About the Word

Imagine the 1920s with glamorous outdoor garden parties and soirees. Of course, these events would be held in a special place — the sitooterie. This fanciful term was created in Scotland in the 1920s to describe an outdoor sitting area, sometimes a gazebo or other similar structure.

Did you know?

Sitooterie — it's not a nonsense word, but it has a quite sensible structure. We know the word sit; "oot" is out in a Scottish accent, and the suffix "-ery" denotes a place set aside for something. So sitooterie is naturally a place for outdoor sitting.