An alternative or variant plural form of château; castles or large country houses, particularly in France.
From French 'châteaux,' the standard French plural of 'château' (from Latin 'castellum'). This English variant represents an attempt to preserve French pluralization patterns.
English struggles with French words—we sometimes say 'châteaux' and sometimes 'chateaus,' showing how languages clash when they borrow words, and how different groups fight over 'correct' pronunciation.
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