hutch
UK[hʌtʃ]US[hʌtʃ]
n
a cage or pen with a wire mesh front, used for keeping small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs.
n
a piece of furniture with shelves and cupboards, used for storing dishes or other items.
Etymology
the word 'hutch' entered english in the 13th century from the old french 'huche', meaning a chest or coffer. this old french term itself derived from the vulgar latin 'hutica', a word of uncertain but possibly germanic origin. originally referring to a storage chest for bread or food, the meaning evolved by the 17th century to specifically denote a cage for small animals, likely due to the similar enclosed, box-like structure. its journey from a general storage container to a specialized animal enclosure illustrates a classic semantic narrowing.
Analysis
the word 'hutch' is a simplex word of french origin. it does not contain separable morphemes in modern english.
Examples
she cleaned out the rabbit hutch every weekend.
the antique hutch in the dining room displayed her collection of fine china.
the guinea pigs were safely tucked into their hutch for the night.