house Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
    • he has a house on Cape Cod
    • she felt she had to get out of the house
  2. noun the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments
    firm; business firm.
    • he worked for a brokerage house
  3. noun the members of a religious community living together
  4. noun the audience gathered together in a theatre or cinema
    • the house applauded
    • he counted the house
  5. noun an official assembly having legislative powers
    • a bicameral legislature has two houses
  6. noun aristocratic family line
    • the House of York
  7. noun play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults
    • the children were playing house
  8. noun (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
    planetary house; star sign; sign of the zodiac; sign; mansion.
  9. noun the management of a gambling house or casino
    • the house gets a percentage of every bet
  10. noun a social unit living together
    household; menage; family; home.
    • he moved his family to Virginia
    • It was a good Christian household
    • I waited until the whole house was asleep
    • the teacher asked how many people made up his home
  11. noun a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
    theater; theatre.
    • the house was full
  12. noun a building in which something is sheltered or located
    • they had a large carriage house
  13. verb contain or cover
    • This box houses the gears
  14. verb provide housing for
    put up; domiciliate.
    • The immigrants were housed in a new development outside the town

WordNet

House noun
Etymology
OE. hous, hus, AS. hs; akin to OS. & OFries. hs, D. huis, OHG. hs, G. haus, Icel. hs, Sw. hus, Dan. huus, Goth. gudhs, house of God, temple; and prob. to E. hide to conceal. See Hide, and cf. Hoard, Husband, Hussy, Husting.
Wordforms
plural Houses
Definitions
  1. A structure intended or used as a habitation or shelter for animals of any kind; but especially, a building or edifice for the habitation of man; a dwelling place, a mansion.
    Houses are built to live in; not to look on. Bacon.
    Bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench Are from their hives and houses driven away. Shak.
  2. Household affairs; domestic concerns; particularly in the phrase to keep house. See below.
  3. Those who dwell in the same house; a household.
    One that feared God with all his house. Acts x. 2.
  4. A family of ancestors, descendants, and kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe; especially, a noble family or an illustrious race; as, the house of Austria; the house of Hanover; the house of Israel.
    The last remaining pillar of their house, The one transmitter of their ancient name. Tennyson.
  5. One of the estates of a kingdom or other government assembled in parliament or legislature; a body of men united in a legislative capacity; as, the House of Lords; the House of Commons; the House of Representatives; also, a quorum of such a body. See Congress, and Parliament.
  6. (Com.) A firm, or commercial establishment.
  7. A public house; an inn; a hotel.
  8. (Astrol.) A twelfth part of the heavens, as divided by six circles intersecting at the north and south points of the horizon, used by astrologers in noting the positions of the heavenly bodies, and casting horoscopes or nativities. The houses were regarded as fixed in respect to the horizon, and numbered from the one at the eastern horizon, called the ascendant, first house, or house of life, downward, or in the direction of the earth's revolution, the stars and planets passing through them in the reverse order every twenty-four hours.
  9. A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.
  10. An audience; an assembly of hearers, as at a lecture, a theater, etc.; as, a thin or a full house.
  11. The body, as the habitation of the soul.
    This mortal house I'll ruin, Do Cæsar what he can. Shak.
  12. With an adj., as narrow, dark, etc. The grave. "The narrow house." Bryant. ✍ House is much used adjectively and as the first element of compounds. The sense is usually obvious; as, house cricket, housemaid, house painter, housework. Syn. -- Dwelling; residence; abode. See Tenement.
House transitive verb
Etymology
AS. hsian.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Housed ; present participle & verbal noun Housing
Definitions
  1. To take or put into a house; to shelter under a roof; to cover from the inclemencies of the weather; to protect by covering; as, to house one's family in a comfortable home; to house farming utensils; to house cattle.
    At length have housed me in a humble shed. Young.
    House your choicest carnations, or rather set them under a penthouse. Evelyn.
  2. To drive to a shelter. Shak.
  3. To admit to residence; to harbor.
    Palladius wished him to house all the Helots. Sir P. Sidney.
  4. To deposit and cover, as in the grave. Sandys.
  5. (Naut.) To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe; as, to house the upper spars.
House intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To take shelter or lodging; to abide to dwell; to lodge.
    You shall not house with me. Shak.
  2. (Astrol.) To have a position in one of the houses. See House, n., #8. "Where Saturn houses." Dryden.

Webster 1913