hearth

noun \ ˈhärth \

Definition of hearth

1 a :a brick, stone, or concrete area in front of a fireplace

b :the floor of a fireplace; also :fireplace

c :the lowest section of a furnace; especially :the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat

2 :home

longed for the comforts of hearth and home

3 :a vital or creative center

the central hearth of occidental civilization
—A. L. Kroeber

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Examples of hearth in a Sentence

They swept the ashes from the hearth.
all were welcome, friends and strangers alike, to their humble hearth

Recent Examples of hearth from the Web

With an abundance of original architectural features including 6 fireplaces, a kitchen cooking hearth and warm oak and pine floors, this one feels feels especially intimate inside.

— elizabeth finkelstein, Country Living, "This is the Stone Farmhouse We've Been Waiting Our Whole Lives to Buy," 24 Aug. 2017
The poor, including the city’s many slaves, cook the meals, clean the hearth and submit to their masters’ whims.

— mary ann gwinn / lit life columnist, The Seattle Times, "Four new novels take us to another time and place," 21 Aug. 2017
Here's another thing Amazon Alexa, that doyenne of home and hearth, can do: Cut down on food waste.

— barb darrow, Fortune, "New Amazon Echo App Takes on Reducing Food Waste," 18 Aug. 2017
The kitchen glides into a hearth family room featuring the original home’s fireplace.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Not just a home but a lifestyle: This $899K Arden house comes with a Maserati," 18 Aug. 2017
The chef cooks a mix of meats over an open hearth on a deck overlooking city and sea.

— karen loftus, Vogue, "Croatia’s Idyllic Island of Losinj Remains off the Radar," 10 July 2017
Perhaps a dozen sets of shed antlers rest on the hearth.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With deer hunting woven into our cultural and economic fabric, a threat to the herd could turn catastrophic," 6 July 2017
The concept features the familiar assembly-line setup, similar to Chipotle, where diners go down the line, choose a crust, sauce and toppings for their pizza, which is then shoved into a huge stone-hearth oven for three minutes.

— joey morona, cleveland.com, "Blaze Pizza -- LeBron's favorite pizza -- opening in Mentor next week," 3 July 2017
The snug kitchen is open to the restaurant, allowing diners to admire the wood burning oven, grill and hearth.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "It comes as little surprise that the food at Red Hog is on point | Review," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hearth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hearth

Middle English herth, from Old English heorth; akin to Old High German herd hearth, and probably to Sanskrit kūḍayāti he scorches

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

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hearth Synonyms

Synonyms

abode, diggings, domicile, dwelling, fireside, habitation, home, hearthstone, house, lodging, pad, place, quarters, residence, roof

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, lath, transom, wainscot

HEARTH Defined for English Language Learners

hearth

noun

Definition of hearth for English Language Learners

: the floor in front of or inside a fireplace

HEARTH Defined for Kids

hearth

noun \ ˈhärth \

Definition of hearth for Students

1 :an area (as of brick) in front of a fireplace

2 :the floor of a fireplace

Learn More about hearth

See words that rhyme with hearth Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hearth Spanish Central: Translation of hearth Nglish: Translation of hearth for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hearth for Arabic speakers

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HEARTH Defined for English Language Learners

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