1) It has several meanings, all associated with small buildings.
1310-1 pro le Cotes reparand’ apud Kyldewyk ijs. It could refer to a small dwelling, valued in some places at exactly one third of a house: in Slaithwaite in 1570, for example, the tenants were ordered to repair their buildings ‘under pain’ of 3s 4d for each cote, compared with 10s for each house. As a dwelling a cote was associated with small size and poverty: 1573 a littil howse or coyte, Bradford
1625 one old house called a coite, South Crosland and it gave rise to numerous minor place-names: 1595 an olde house or cote called Howeroid coite, Barkisland. As a place where animals or materials might be kept its use dates from the fifteenth century and several examples have been noted in Yorkshire, e.g. 1687 the Swine coat or hen house, Conistone
1739 1 swine coat or hogsty, Riddlesden. In some regions ‘cote’ was the name given to a small settlement close to a village, as with Arncliffe and Arncliffe Cote.