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Today it means

gazebo

a small, roofed structure in a garden, offering a pleasant view

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Where does the word "gazebo" come from? It comes from English gaze, and was adopted directly into English (1752).

Read the full story

Where does the word "gazebo" come from? It comes from English gaze, and was adopted directly into English (1752).

Gazebo’s story begins in English: gaze meant “I shall gaze, I shall see.” Combined jokingly with a mock-Latin future-tense ending, meaning I shall see. It reached English by 1752 as gazebo. Settled as the whimsical name for a small garden structure offering a view. Today, gazebo means a small, roofed structure in a garden, offering a pleasant view.

  1. Stage 1 · English · 1750s gaze "I shall gaze, I shall see", combined jokingly with a mock-Latin future-tense ending, meaning I shall see.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1752 gazebo "a small garden structure offering a view", settled as the whimsical name for a small garden structure offering a view.

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