poorhouse
noun
poor·house
ˈpu̇r-ˌhau̇s 
ˈpȯr-
: a place maintained at public expense to house needy or dependent persons
Examples of poorhouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The former Eloise complex, which once housed up to 10,000 patients at its peak, began in 1839 as a poorhouse in Hamtramck before moving to Westland and expanding into a psychiatric institution and a general hospital.
—
Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
An inclination to laugh all the way to the poorhouse?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2025
Betting against correlation is a road to the poorhouse.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
In 1902, as California thought to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the blessing of the navel orange, as 8,000 railroad cars of oranges were sent to market each year, Luther Tibbets was living in a Riverside poorhouse.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
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Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
An inclination to laugh all the way to the poorhouse?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2025
Betting against correlation is a road to the poorhouse.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
In 1902, as California thought to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the blessing of the navel orange, as 8,000 railroad cars of oranges were sent to market each year, Luther Tibbets was living in a Riverside poorhouse.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for poorhouse
Cite this Entry
“Poorhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorhouse. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
poorhouse
noun
poor·house
ˈpu̇(ə-)r-ˌhau̇s
ˈpō(ə)r-
: a place maintained at public expense to house poor people
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