English

Noun

cottaging ‎(uncountable)

1. (Britain, slang) Sexual activity in a public lavatory, especially involving homosexual or bisexual men.
   • 1993 October 6, Anna Kisselgoff, "Upstart and Formal Styles in Montreal", in The New York Times, page C14:

     "MSM," a term that is reportedly English social-work jargon for "men seeking sex with men," explores the reasons why men, including heterosexuals, cruise in English lavatories, which are, believe it or not, called "cottages." The text is made up of actual interviews with those who go "cottaging."

2. A seasonal activity involving a prolonged stay at one or more cottages; similar to visiting, but typically for a longer duration and at a seasonal home that one owns or rents.
   • 2004, C. Michael Hall, Dieter K. Muller, Tourism, Mobility and Second Homes (page 69)

     This comparison between the commercial cottager and the private cottager begins to give us an insight into differences between the private cottager and the commercial cottager, a difference that has implications for the relation of cottaging to city life.

Related terms

• cottage
• cottager