house

play

noun, often attributive \ ˈhau̇s \

Definition of house

plural houses play \ˈhau̇-zəz also -səz\

1 :a building that serves as living quarters for one or a few families :home

invited them to her house for dinner

a two-family house

2 a (1) :a shelter or refuge (such as a nest or den) of a wild animal

(2) :a natural covering (such as a test or shell) that encloses and protects an animal or a colony of zooids

b :a building in which something is sheltered or stored

a carriage house

3 a astrology :one of the 12 equal sectors (see ¹sector 1a) in which the celestial sphere is divided

b astrology :a sign of the zodiac that is the seat of a planet's greatest influence

the house occupied by Jupiter

4 a :household

woke up the whole house

b :a family including ancestors, descendants, and kindred

the house of Tudor

5 a :a residence for a religious community or for students

a fraternity house

b :the community or students living in such a residence

6 a government :a legislative, deliberative, or consultative assembly; especially :one constituting a division of a bicameral body

a bill approved by both houses of Congress

b :the building or chamber where such an assembly meets

c :a quorum of such an assembly

7 a :a place of business or entertainment

a movie house

the local fish house

a house of prostitution

b (1) :a business organization

a publishing house

(2) :a gambling establishment

c :the audience in a theater or concert hall

a full house on opening night

8 curling :the circular area 12 feet in diameter surrounding the tee and within which a curling stone must rest in order to count

[from The Warehouse, Chicago dance club that pioneered the style]

:a type of dance music mixed by a disc jockey that features overdubbing with a heavy repetitive drumbeat and repeated electronic melody lines

—

houseful

play \ˈhau̇s-ˌfu̇l\ noun

—

houseless

play \ˈhau̇-sləs\ adjective

—

houselessness

noun

— on the house

:without charge :free

See house defined for English-language learners

See house defined for kids

Examples of house in a Sentence

Would you like to come to my house for dinner?
I spent the weekend just puttering around the house.
He made enough noise to wake the whole house.

Recent Examples of house from the Web

Family emergencies can include all large and small disasters, from flash floods to house fires.

— rebecca mcbane, South Florida Parenting, "Don't Wait for the Storm: The most important step in a Family Emergency Plan is to make one," 30 Aug. 2017
The school established a collection to help relief efforts, informed students during morning announcements and planned to promote the fundraiser during its open house on Wednesday night.

— steve zimmerman, Daily Southtown, "Orland-area students getting an education in how to help," 30 Aug. 2017
The pilot marks the launch of its in-house effort to evaluate rTMS as a treatment for addiction.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Brain-altering magnetic pulses could zap cocaine addiction," 29 Aug. 2017
And as is Lisa’s wont, the story is where animals who live in nicer houses than most Americans, fabulous recreational activities, and a predilection for not taking guff from anybody converge.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Makes Veruca Salt Look Like the Dalai Lama," 28 Aug. 2017
The fire fighters found a good quantity of water available, enabling them to save the main portion of the house, after the kitchen had been sprayed with oil and badly charred.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point Star Newspaper Almanac," 28 Aug. 2017
The full-service clinic includes small animal medical and diagnostic services, dental and surgical services, an in-house pharmacy, full-service boarding, and grooming.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "People & Places: the results of 2017 Best of Birmingham," 28 Aug. 2017
A New York Times reporter in Houston writes about the flooding in his own house.

— c. trent rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, "BAR: How many innings left for young Cincinnati Reds starting pitchers?," 28 Aug. 2017
A fire extensively damaged a house in the 700 block of Long Bar Harbor Road in Abingdon on Saturday afternoon, fire investigators reported.

— staff report, The Aegis, "Fire guts Long Bar Harbor house Saturday," 28 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of house

Middle English hous, from Old English hūs; akin to Old High German hūs house

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

house Synonyms

Synonyms

business, company, concern, establishment, firm, enterprise, interest, outfit

Related Words

conglomerate, corporation, multinational; association, cartel, chain, combine, syndicate, trust; agency, dealer, outlet; microenterprise

Near Antonyms

ancestry, birth, descent, extraction, origin, pedigree

house

play

verb \ ˈhau̇z \

Definition of house

housed; housing

transitive verb

1 a :to provide with living quarters or shelter

a place to house their guests

b :to store in a building

the barn where they house their boat

2 :to encase, enclose, or shelter as if by putting in a house (see ¹house)

so timorous a soul housed in so impressive a body
—A. W. Long

3 :to serve as a shelter or container for :contain

buildings that house government offices

intransitive verb

:to take shelter :lodge

See house defined for English-language learners

Examples of house in a Sentence

More prisons are needed to house the growing number of inmates.
The museum houses an impressive collection of jewels.
The carpenter built casing to house the hot water pipes.

Recent Examples of house from the Web

The hotel, which opened in April 2016, houses the new location of the Marfa Book Company, a decades-old institution that hosts readings and lectures year round.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Hotel Saint George," 25 Aug. 2017
The 375-acre parcel is about a 30-minute drive from Brown's main campus in Providence, and houses an archaeology collection and environmental lab.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Pokanoket Nation Sets Up Encampment on Brown University Land," 22 Aug. 2017
Located at the corner of Venice and Centinela, the bright yellow installation houses a chrome cylinder with a light sensor inside.

— zoie matthew, Los Angeles Magazine, "Why You Should Stick Your Hand in This Mystery Box at the Bus Stop," 21 Aug. 2017
In 1979, Trump acquired a building at 56th Street and Fifth Avenue that previously housed the women's retailer Bonwit Teller.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "The Historic Building Donald Trump Demolished to Build Trump Tower," 18 Aug. 2017
The nonprofit organization housed Merendo for about a year in its maternity home and helped her apply for Medicaid in Indiana.

— sarah mccammon, Kaiser Health News, "Medicaid Proves A Lifeline For Clients Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers," 27 July 2017
It was also thought to house some of the money of senior government officials.

— bill powell, MSNBC Newsweek, "Will Trump Stop the 10 Chinese Companies Supplying North Korea's Nuclear Program?," 13 July 2017
Instead, the sleek and streamlined chair houses an innovative hinge that automatically adjusts its resistance based on the weight of the chair’s occupant.

— wired staff, WIRED, "June’s Greatest Gear, From Apple’s New iPad to Coding Robots," 30 June 2017
Housed in one of the world’s largest buildings, the facility is where Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 models are assembled.

— ben mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, "Photo tour: Behind the scenes at the Boeing factory," 30 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of house

see ¹house

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

house Synonyms

Synonyms

accommodate, bestow, billet, bivouac, board, bunk, camp, chamber, domicile, encamp, harbor, lodge, put up, quarter, roof, room, shelter, take in

Related Words

ensconce, home, roost, secure, shed, stable, tent; barrack; bed (down)

Near Antonyms

eject, evict

House

play

biographical name \ ˈhau̇s \

Definition of House

Edward Mandell 1858–1938 Colonel House American diplomat

HOUSE Defined for English Language Learners

house

play

noun

Definition of house for English Language Learners

: a building in which a family lives
: the people who live in a house
: a structure or shelter in which animals are kept

house

play

verb

Definition of house for English Language Learners

: to provide shelter or a living space for (someone)
: to be a shelter for (something) : to store or contain (something)
: to surround or enclose (something) in order to protect it

HOUSE Defined for Kids

house

play

noun \ ˈhau̇s \

Definition of house for Students

plural houses \ˈhau̇-zəz\

1 :a place built for people to live in

2 :something (as a nest or den) used by an animal for shelter

3 :a building in which something is kept

a carriage house

4 :¹household

Her noise woke up the whole house.

5 :a body of persons assembled to make the laws for a country

The United States Congress is made up of two houses.

6 :a business firm

a publishing house

7 :the audience in a theater or concert hall

8 :family 2

the house of Windsor

— on the house

:free of charge

Dessert is on the house.

house

play

verb \ ˈhau̇z \

Definition of house for Students

housed; housing

1 :to provide with living quarters or shelter

2 :contain 2

All three movies are housed in a single set.

Law Dictionary

house

noun

legal Definition of house

1 a :a building (as a single or multiple family house, apartment, or hotel room) serving as living quarters and usually including the curtilage

b :a building (as one's residence or a locked place of business) in which one is entitled to protection (as from warrantless searches and seizures) under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

2 a :a legislative assembly especially that constitutes a division of a bicameral body

b :the building or chamber where such an assembly meets

c :a quorum of such an assembly