chanty

UK: /ˈʃæntɪ/ US: (shan′tē, chan′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

chant•y  (shan′tē, chan′-), n., pl. chant•ies. 

1. Music and Dance chantey.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

chanty / ˈʃæntɪ ˈtʃæn-/ noun ( -ties)

1. a variant of shanty2

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

shan•ty¹ /ˈʃænti/   n. [countable] , pl. -ties. 

1. a roughly or poorly built hut, cabin, or house.

shan•ty² /ˈʃænti/   n. [countable] , pl. -ties. 

1. Music and Dance a type of work song that sailors once sang.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

shan•ty¹  (shan′tē), n., pl. -ties, adj., v., -tied, -ty•ing. 
n. 

1. a crudely built hut, cabin, or house.

adj. 

2. of, pertaining to, or constituting a shanty or shanties:
   a shanty quarter outside the town walls.
3. of a low economic or social class, esp. when living in a shanty:
   shanty people.

v.i. 

4. to inhabit a shanty.

• Greek kanthé̄lios pack ass
• Latin cant(h)ērius rafter, prop, literally, horse in poor condition, nag
• Canadian French chantier lumber camp, hut; French: yard, depot, gantry, stand for barrels
• probably 1810–20

shan′ty•like′, adj. 

shan•ty²  (shan′tē), n., pl. -ties. 

1. Music and Dance chantey.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

shanty / ˈʃæntɪ/ noun ( -ties)

1. a ramshackle hut; crude dwelling
2. a public house, esp an unlicensed one

Etymology: 19th Century: from Canadian French chantier cabin built in a lumber camp, from Old French gantier gantry

shanty, shantey / ˈʃæntɪ/chanty, chantey / ˈʃæntɪ ˈtʃæn-/ noun ( -ties, -teys)

1. a song originally sung by sailors, esp a rhythmic one forming an accompaniment to work

Etymology: 19th Century: from French chanter to sing; see chant