house

¹house

noun, often attributive \ˈhau̇s\

plural hous·es\ˈhau̇-zəz also -səz\

Definition of HOUSE

1

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

2

a (1) : a shelter or refuge (as a nest or den) of a wild animal (2) : a natural covering (as a test or shell) that encloses and protects an animal or a colony of zooids b : a building in which something is housed <a carriage house>

3

a : one of the 12 equal sectors in which the celestial sphere is divided in astrology b : a zodiacal sign that is the seat of a planet's greatest influence

4

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

5

a : a residence for a religious community or for students b : the community or students in residence

6

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

: 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

— house·ful \ˈhau̇s-ˌfu̇l\ noun

— house·less \ˈhau̇-sləs\ adjective

— house·less·ness noun

— on the house

: without charge : free

Examples of HOUSE

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

Origin of HOUSE

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HOUSE

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

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with HOUSE

blouse, chiaus, chouse, douse, gauss, Gauss, grouse, Klaus, Laos, louse, mouse, scouse, souse, spouse