house

noun, often attributive

\ ˈhau̇s

plural houses\ ˈhau̇-zəz

also -səz

Definition of house

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

2a(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

3a astrology : one of the 12 equal sectors (see sector entry 1 sense 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

4a : household woke up the whole house

b : a family including ancestors, descendants, and kindred the house of Tudor

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

b : the community or students living in such a residence

6a 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

7a : 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

9 [ 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

on the house

: without charge : free

house

verb

\ ˈhau̇z

housed; housing

Definition of house (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : 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 house entry 1) 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

House

biographical name

\ ˈhau̇s

Definition of House (Entry 3 of 3)

Edward Mandell 1858–1938 Colonel House American diplomat

Other Words from house Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about house

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Other Words from house

Noun

houseful \ ˈhau̇s-ˌfu̇l

\ noun

houseless \ ˈhau̇-sləs

\ adjective

houselessness noun

Examples of house in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

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 on the Web: Noun

Guidroz said the father aided authorities by arranging for the son to leave the house and go to a place where he could be arrested without incident. — Melinda Deslatte, The Seattle Times, "Shock at arrest of deputy’s son in black church fires," 14 Apr. 2019 The house lacks for nothing: there is a television, a hat rack, computer and remote control—all in crochet. — Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, "Hooked on Missoni Home's Fairytale Rooms Made Entirely Out of Crochet," 10 Apr. 2019 Fabergé, the jewelry house known for its colorful eggs, was also the crown jeweler to the Romanovs and to other Russian nobility. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "Two Rare Fabergé Tiaras With Ties to the Russian Royal Family Are Up for Auction," 10 Apr. 2019 For instance, Ruth uses chess pieces scattered about the house to anchor her in reality, a detail inspired by Shaw and his sister going through their mother's belongings and recognizing the talisman-like nature of a loved one's personal effects. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "TV Technica 2018: Our favorite shows and binges," 24 Dec. 2018 Who did great coverage of the California state house? — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Full Q&A: Ezra Klein and Kara Swisher on the future of journalism," 12 Dec. 2018 Getting into the present day, Beth and Randall are moving to Philly and selling the house. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "All Your Questions About the This Is Us Season Three Finale, Answered," 3 Apr. 2019 Communication makes everything run smoothly and happily, delegating different responsibilities to different house members to make your home a more pleasant place to relax. — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What April’s Aquarius Horoscope Means for You," 31 Mar. 2019 It's been a classic for the fragrance house ever since the scent was created in 1912. — Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, "6 Royal-Worn Perfumes That Are Fit for Non-Princesses Too," 30 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Tornillo was originally designated as a temporary, emergency shelter meant to be open for just a month and to house a few hundred children, each for a few days. — Alicia A. Caldwell, WSJ, "A Texas Tent City for Migrant Children Is Closed," 11 Jan. 2019 Merkley’s revelation comes as the Trump administration continues to face criticism for its immigration policies, including, as CNN reported, a recent decision to triple the size of a tent facility that houses immigrant children. — Jewel Wicker, Teen Vogue, "The Trump Administration Took $10 Million From FEMA and Gave It to ICE," 13 Sep. 2018 According to ABC News, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Gypsy Rose and her mother were housed in local shelter in Covington, Louisiana. — Alexis Jones, Marie Claire, "How True Is 'The Act'? The Hulu Series' Backstory Is Chilling," 20 Mar. 2019 Lunch from home takes on an element of Japanese elegance when it is housed in one of those new bento boxes with multiple compartments. — Bee Wilson, WSJ, "The Lunchbox Renaissance," 24 Jan. 2019 Groene walks me through part of Building 87 on Microsoft’s campus, where the design studio is housed and where Groene’s team of 60 are tasked with coming up with a steady stream of ideas for potential products. — Lauren Goode, WIRED, "Surface Go Is Microsoft’s Big Bet on a Tiny-Computer Future," 9 July 2018 Video footage of children being housed behind chain-link enclosures and audio recordings of crying children pleading for their relatives have prompted a bipartisan backlash against the policy. — David Owens, courant.com, "Malloy Offers Feds Assistance In Reuniting Families Affected By 'Zero-Tolerance' Policy At Border," 23 June 2018 Michael Andrews, although other federal agencies provided conflicting explanations about how the shelters would be used and who would be housed there. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "President Trump sees immigration as a defense issue.," 22 June 2018 Shop at La Galeria Elefante Designer Victoria Durrer Gasse’s devotion to Ibiza and reverence for travel have manifested in a ten-room concept shop, La Galeria Elefante, housed in a traditional farmhouse near Santa Gertrudis. — Elizabeth Wellington, Vogue, "For Authentic Ibiza, Visit in the Winter," 15 Feb. 2019

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.

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More Definitions for house

house

noun

English Language Learners Definition of house

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a building in which a family lives

: the people who live in a house

: a structure or shelter in which animals are kept

house

verb

English Language Learners Definition of house (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

See the full definition for house in the English Language Learners Dictionary

house

noun

\ ˈhau̇s

plural houses\ ˈhau̇-zəz \

Kids Definition of house

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 : household entry 1 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 sense 2 the house of Windsor

on the house

: free of charge Dessert is on the house.

house

verb

\ ˈhau̇z

housed; housing

Kids Definition of house (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to provide with living quarters or shelter

2 : contain sense 2 All three movies are housed in a single set.

house

noun

Legal Definition of house

1a : 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

2a : 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