Garret
/ˈɡærɪt/noun
A small, usually cramped room or living space at the top of a house, beneath the roof.
Did you know?Garret comes from a medieval word for a fortified lookout or place of safety, revealing that the modern attic preserves a faint memory of defensive architecture.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“To cover, protect, or watch over; the reconstructed root behind several later protection words.”
Old High German
Old High German
warōn
“To watch, guard, or be attentive; an early Germanic descendant of the protective root.”
Old French
Old French
garir
“To protect, defend, or make safe.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
garite
“A watchtower, sentry post, or place of safety.”
14th Century
Middle English
garette
“An upper room or small structure, originally associated with a tower or defensive building.”
Modern English
English
garret
“A cramped room or dwelling beneath a roof.”