Pied-à-terre

Pied-à-terre

A "pied-à-terre" is a small living unit typically located in a large city (typically an apartment or a condominium).

The phrase "pied-à-terre" literally translates from the French as "foot on the ground". This is said to be because "pieds-à-terre" were traditionally ground-floor apartmentsWho|date=July 2007; however, more likely, the meaning of the phrase is "to have a foothold"Fact|date=July 2007; "terre" (ground, soil) referring to territory, rather than elevation.

A "pied-à-terre" is a residence that will be used temporarily, mostly as a second home. It is commonFact|date=April 2008 in New York City realty for many building co-ops to prohibit "pieds-à-terre" because they only want buyers who will actually make the building/apartment their permanent place of residence.

ee also

*Vacation property


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  • pied-à-terre — [ pjetatɛr ] n. m. inv. • 1732; « sonnerie de trompette » 1636; de pied, à et terre ♦ Logement qu on occupe en passant, occasionnellement. Avoir un pied à terre à Paris (⇒ garçonnière) . ● pied à terre nom masculin invariable Logement où on ne… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • pied à terre — ⇒PIED( )À( )TERRE, (PIED À TERRE, PIED À TERRE), subst. masc. Logement qu on n occupe que de manière occasionnelle. Avoir un pied à terre à Paris. Ne vaut il pas mieux avoir un pied à terre chez ta fille (...) et vivre huit mois de l année à… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • pied-à-terre — [ˌpjeıd æ ˈteə US piˌed a: ˈter] n a small apartment or house, often in the centre of a city or town, that is not your main home but which you own and stay in sometimes ▪ They kept a pied à terre in London for theatre evenings …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • pied a terre — (n.) small town house or rooms used for short residences, 1829, French, pied à terre, lit. foot on the ground …   Etymology dictionary

  • pied-à-terre — [pyā tȧ ter′] n. pl. pied à terre [Fr, lit., foot on the ground] a lodging or dwelling, esp. one used only part time or temporarily …   English World dictionary

  • pied-à-terre — pied à ter·re s.m.inv. ES fr. {{wmetafile0}} appartamento di piccole dimensioni utilizzato in modo provvisorio o per brevi e occasionali soggiorni {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1895. ETIMO: fr. pied à terre propr. piede a terra …   Dizionario italiano

  • pied-à-terre — [[t]piˌeɪ dəˈtɛər, dɑ , ˌpyeɪ [/t]] n. pl. pieds à terre [[t]piˌeɪ dəˈtɛər, dɑ , ˌpyeɪ [/t]] fot a residence, as an apartment, for part time or temporary use • Etymology: 1820–30; < F: lit., foot on ground …   From formal English to slang

  • pied-à-terre — meaning ‘a small house or apartment kept for occasional use’, is pronounced pyay dah tair and is now printed in roman type with the accent as shown. The plural form is pieds à terre (with the same pronunciation) …   Modern English usage

  • Pied-à-terre — (franz., spr. pjē t atǟr ), Absteigequartier, Landhäuschen eines Städters …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • pied-à-terre — /fr. pjetaˈtɛʀ/ [vc. fr., propriamente «piede a terra»] s. m. inv. appartamentino …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • pied-a-terre — noun lodging for occasional or secondary use they bought a pied a terre in London • Hypernyms: ↑housing, ↑lodging, ↑living accommodations * * * pē|ād.ə|te(ə)r, ˌpyā noun (plural pieds à terre ād.ə ) …   Useful english dictionary

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