hovel
UK: ˈhɒv(ə)l | US: ˈhʌv(ə)l
n. a small, squalid, or poorly constructed dwelling; a wretched hut.
The word "hovel" originates from Middle English hovel, meaning "a shed or covered shelter," likely derived from Old English hof (a dwelling or house) combined with the diminutive suffix -el, implying a small or humble structure. Over time, its meaning shifted to emphasize poverty and poor living conditions, reflecting the degradation of such shelters. The root hov- shares ancestry with German Hof (court, farm) and Dutch hof (garden), originally denoting enclosed spaces.
The refugees were forced to live in a cramped hovel with no running water.
The old fisherman’s hovel stood alone on the windswept cliff.
After the storm, the family’s home was reduced to a leaky hovel.
Critics described the slum as a collection of filthy hovels.
He spent his childhood in a rural hovel with dirt floors.