house Definition

house
noun

1. A building in which people, especially a single family, live.

Thesaurus: habitation, abode, domicile, dwelling, residence.
2. The people living in such a building.
3. An inn or public house.
4. A building used for a specified purpose.

Example: an opera-house
5a. A business firm;

Example: a publishing house
Thesaurus: business, corporation, establishment, firm, partnership, company.


Example: the house journal
6. The audience in a theatre, a theatre itself or a performance given there.
7. The legislative body that governs a country, especially either chamber in a bicameral system.

Example: the House of Commons
Example: the House of Lords
Thesaurus: congress, council, assembly, legislature, senate, parliament.
Form: the House (often)
8a. In Oxford: Christ Church College;

Form: the House
8b. In London: the Stock Exchange;

Form: the House
8c. In London: the Houses of Parliament.

Form: the House
9. A family, especially a noble or royal one.

Example: the House of Hanover
Thesaurus: family, ancestry, blood, clan, line, lineage, descent, race, tradition.
Form: House
10. astrol.
One of the twelve divisions of the heavens.
(Brit)
11. One of several divisions of pupils at a large school.
12a. A college or university building in which students live;
12b. A building at a boarding-school in which pupils live.
13. A building in which members of a religious community live; a convent.
14. house music.

verb housed, housing

1. To provide with a house or similar shelter.

Thesaurus: accommodate, bed, board, quarter, lodge, harbour, hold.
2. To store.

Thesaurus: keep, protect, shelter, store.
3. To protect by covering.

Idiom: bring the house down

colloq
To evoke loud applause in a theatre; to be a great success.

Idiom: keep house

To manage a household.

Idiom: keep open house

To be hospitable or provide entertainment for all visitors.

Idiom: like a house on fire

Very well.
Example: They get on like a house on fire

Very quickly.
Thesaurus: quickly, actively, energetically, vigorously.

Idiom: on the house

Said of food, drink, etc: at the expense of the manager or owner; free of charge.
Thesaurus: free, complimentary, gratis, gratuitous.

Idiom: put one's house in order (set one's house in order)

To organize or settle one's affairs.

Idiom: safe as houses

See under safe.

Idiom: set up house

To begin one's own domestic life.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon hus.