poorhouse

noun

poor·​house ˈpu̇r-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce poorhouse (audio)
ˈpȯr-
: a place maintained at public expense to house needy or dependent persons

Examples of poorhouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After they were rejected at the polls, Democrats funneled $20 billion to the same kind of con men and Democrat bundlers who are driving Massachusetts ratepayers to the poorhouse. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 21 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for poorhouse

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poorhouse was circa 1579

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Cite this Entry

“Poorhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorhouse. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

poorhouse

noun
poor·​house ˈpu̇(ə-)r-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce poorhouse (audio)
ˈpō(ə)r-
: a place maintained at public expense to house poor people
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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