1. plural of cottier; tenant farmers who rent small plots of land, especially in Ireland
Usage: historical; chiefly Irish

Examples

• The cottiers struggled to pay their rent after the potato crop failed.
• Many cottiers were evicted during the Irish land crisis of the 19th century.
• The cottiers worked small plots of land barely sufficient for subsistence.
• Irish cottiers often lived in poverty under the landlord system.
• The cottiers’ dependence on potatoes made them vulnerable to famine.
• Land reforms aimed to improve conditions for cottiers and other tenant farmers.