House Definition
hous
housed, houses, housing
noun
houses
A structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons, especially for a family.
American Heritage
A building for human beings to live in.
Webster's New World
A household or family.
American Heritage
The people, esp. members of a family, who live together in a house, considered as a unit; household.
Webster's New World
Something, such as a burrow or shell, that serves as a shelter or habitation for a wild animal.
American Heritage
pronoun
A topographic surname for someone residing in a house (as opposed to a hut) or in a religious house.
Wiktionary
(US) The House of Representatives, "the House".
Wiktionary
More generally, a shortened name for any chamber of a legislature that is named "House of...", especially where the other chamber(s) are not so named (as in Australia or Canada), or where there is no other chamber (as in New Zealand).
Wiktionary
verb
housed, houses
To provide, or serve as, a house or lodgings for.
Webster's New World
To store in a house.
Webster's New World
To fit (something) into a socket or mortise.
American Heritage
To cover, harbor, or shelter by or as if by putting into a house.
Webster's New World
To reside; live.
Webster's New World
adjective
Designating or of a salad dressing, type of wine, etc. featured at a particular bar or restaurant.
Webster's New World
Trained, housebroken, etc. so that it can be kept in a house or apartment.
A house cat.
Webster's New World
Of or pertaining to a house or household.
A house servant.
Webster's New World
Of or pertaining to a particular business establishment.
Webster's New World
idiom
like a house on fire
- In an extremely speedy manner:
ran away like a house on fire; tickets that sold like a house afire.
American Heritage
on the house
- At the expense of the establishment; free:
food and drinks on the house.
American Heritage
put
- To organize one's affairs in a sensible, logical way.
American Heritage
bring down the house
- to receive enthusiastic applause from the audience
Webster's New World
clean house
- to clean and put a home in order
- to get rid of all unwanted things, undesirable conditions, etc.
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to House
- like a house on fire
- on the house
- put
- bring down the house
- clean house
- keep house
- like a house on fire
- on the house
- play house
- set one's house in order
- the House
- the man of the house
Origin of House
-
From Middle English hous, hus, from Old English hūs (“dwelling, shelter, house”), from Proto-Germanic *hūsą (compare West Frisian hûs, Dutch huis, Low German Huus, German Haus, Danish hus), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keus-, from *(s)keu- 'to hide'. More at hose.
From Wiktionary
Middle English hous from Old English hūs
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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