house

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.
2. (Hong-Kong, countable, uncountable) A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.
3. (countable, uncountable) A container; a thing which houses another.
4. (uncountable) Size and quality of residential accommodations; housing.
5. (countable, uncountable) A building intended to contain a single household, as opposed to an apartment or condominium or building containing these.
6. (countable, uncountable) The people who live in a house; a household.
7. (countable, uncountable) A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
8. (countable, uncountable) A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
9. (countable, uncountable) A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
10. (countable, historical, uncountable) A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
11. (countable, uncountable) The audience for a live theatrical or similar performance.
12. (countable, uncountable) A building where a deliberative assembly meets; whence the assembly itself, particularly a component of a legislature.
13. (countable, uncountable) A dynasty; a family with its ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble one.
14. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A place of rest or repose.
15. (countable, uncountable) A grouping of schoolchildren for the purposes of competition in sports and other activities.
16. (countable, uncountable) An animal's shelter or den, or the shell of an animal such as a snail, used for protection.
17. (countable, uncountable) One of the twelve divisions of an astrological chart.
18. (countable, uncountable) The fourth Lenormand card.
19. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.
20. (countable, uncountable) The four concentric circles where points are scored on the ice.
21. (countable, uncountable) Lotto; bingo.
22. (uncountable) A children's game in which the players pretend to be members of a household.
23. (US, countable, dialectal, uncountable) A small stand of trees in a swamp.
24. (countable, uncountable) A set of cells in a sudoku puzzle which must contain each digit exactly once, such as a row, column, or 3×3 box.
25. (countable, slang, uncountable) The end zone.

Verb

1. (transitive) To keep within a structure or container.
2. (transitive) To admit to residence; to harbor.
3. To take shelter or lodging; to abide; to lodge.
4. (transitive) To dwell within one of the twelve astrological houses.
5. (transitive) To contain or cover mechanical parts.
6. (transitive) To contain one part of an object for the purpose of locating the whole.
7. (obsolete) To drive to a shelter.
8. (obsolete) To deposit and cover, as in the grave.
9. To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe.
10. (Canada, US, slang, transitive) To eat; especially, to scarf down.

Synonyms

home

🏠

dwelling

residence

building

abode

hut

🛖

habitation

room

mansion

family

👪

household

shelter

place

chamber

lodge

domicile

housing

firm

residency

dwelling house

structure

dynasty

hall

domestic

inn

dwelling place

compound

roof

apartment

camp

quarter

cottage

sign

address

dwelling-place

palace

contain

planetary house

theater

sign of the zodiac

star sign

harbour

edifice

hold

resident

domiciliate

put up

den

business firm

office

🏢

Translations

maison

🏠

casa

🏠

Haus

🏠

casa

🏠

huis

🏠

casa

🏠

σπίτι

ev

🏠

domus

🏠

casa

🏠

Wohnung

abitazione

ostal

οίκος

Pronounced as (IPA)

/haʊs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: hous

Inherited from Old English: hūs

Cognate with Scots: hoose

Cognate with Western Frisian: hûs

Cognate with Dutch: huis

Cognate with German: Haus

Cognate with Danish: hus

Cognate with Faroese: hús

Cognate with Icelandic: hús

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: hus

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: hus

Cognate with Swedish: hus

Inherited from Middle English: husen

Inherited from Middle English: housen

Inherited from Old English: hūsian

Cognate with Dutch: huizen

Cognate with German: hausen

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: husa

Cognate with Faroese: húsa

Cognate with Icelandic: húsa

In summary

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH-der.?
Proto-Germanic *hūsą
Proto-West Germanic *hūs
Old English hūs
Middle English hous
English house
From Middle English hous, hus, from Old English hūs (“dwelling, shelter, house”), from Proto-West Germanic *hūs, from Proto-Germanic *hūsą, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kews-, from *(s)kewH- (“to cover, hide”).
Eclipsed non-native Middle English meson, measoun (“house”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman maisun (“house”). More at hose. The uncommon plural form housen is from Middle English husen, housen. (The Old English nominative plural was simply hūs.)
Cognates
Cognate with Scots hoose, oos (“house”), Yola heouse, houze, howze (“house”), North Frisian hüs (“house”), Saterland Frisian Huus, Húus (“house”), West Frisian hûs (“house”), Alemannic German hous, hus, husch, hüs, hüüsch (“house”), Bavarian, Cimbrian, Mòcheno haus (“house”), Central Franconian Haus, Hous, Huus (“home”), Dutch huis (“house”), Dutch Low Saxon hoes, huus (“house”), German Haus, Hauß (“house”), German Low German Huus (“house”), Limburgish hoes, Huus (“house”), Luxembourgish Haus (“house”), Vilamovian haojs, haus, hoüz (“house”), Yiddish הויז (hoyz, “house”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk hus (“house”), Elfdalian aus (“house”), Faroese, Icelandic hús (“house”), Swedish hus, hws (“house”), Crimean Gothic hus (“house”).

Sentences

The house was built using concrete .

It's not my house .

They say at Patti's house he left two hours ago .

The Reichsrat, or upper house , was not involved in this process at all .

McMinn County was organized at Walker's house that same year .

The Chauncy family lived at Ardeley Bury , the manor house of the village .