Lodger

/ˈlɑːdʒər/ noun

Definition

A person who rents a room in someone else's house or building, usually for a short or medium length of time.

Etymology

From Old French 'logier,' derived from 'loge' meaning a small room or lodge. The word has meant someone who stays temporarily in rented quarters since medieval times.

Kelly Says

Victorian cities were packed with lodgers—poor workers and students who rented single rooms in crowded houses—and this housing situation was so common that Sherlock Holmes famously has his lodger Watson living with him, representing the typical London living arrangement of that era.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.