house

plural houses · dialectal plural housen · humorous plural hice · alternative Northumbria hoose · alternative obsolete houss

1. countableuncountableA structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.First known use 9th c.

   This is my house and my family's ancestral home.

   2 more examples

   The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them,[…].

   1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter III, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC

   Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.

   1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC

   1. Hong KongcountableuncountableAn apartment building within a public housing estate.
2. countableuncountableA container; a thing which houses another.

   The purposes of food are to promote growth, to supply force and heat, and to furnish material to repair the waste which is constantly taking place in the body. Every breath, every thought, every motion, wears out some portion of the delicate and wonderful house in which we live.

   1892, Ella Eaton Kellogg, “Foods”, in Science in the Kitchen: A Scientific Treatise on Food Substances and Their Dietetic Properties, Together with a Practical Explanation of the Principles of Healthful Cookery, and a Large Number of Original, Palatable, and Wholesome Recipes, Revised edition, Michigan: Health Publishing Company, page 25

3. uncountableSize and quality of residential accommodations; housing.

   Those homeowners who bought too much house, or borrowed against inflated values are now going to be liable for their own poor decisions.

   2007 November 6, “When Will the Slump End?”, in Newsweek

4. countableuncountableA building intended to contain a single household, as opposed to an apartment or condominium or building containing these.
5. countableuncountableThe people who live in a house; a household.First known use 9th c.

   one that feared God with all his house

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 10:2

6. countableuncountableA building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).First known use 10th c.

   The former carriage house had been made over into a guest house.

   1 more example

   On arriving at the zoo, we immediately headed for the monkey house.

   1. countableuncountableA place of business; a company or organisation, especially a printing press, a publishing company, or a couturier.

      A small publishing house would have a contract with an independent fulfillment house.

      1 more example

      I have a good banker in this city, but I would not wish to draw upon the house until the time when I shall draw for a round sum.

      1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC

      Synonyms: shop

   2. countableuncountableA place of public accommodation or entertainment, especially a public house, an inn, a restaurant, a theatre, or a casino; or the management thereof.

      The house always wins.

      3 more examples

      One more, sir, then I'll have to stop serving you – rules of the house, I'm afraid.

      The farce comedy which followed, When We're Married by Charles Burnham, was heartily praised, with the character man singled out for special extollation. The production filled the house.

      1964, “Northwest Ohio Quarterly”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 36, page 185

      Frazier and Gary worked for me for free — for six months — they didn't take any money from the house. They worked for tips.

      1977 August 27, Steve Savage, Susan "Suki" Eagan, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Suki, But Were Too Distracted In Chaps to Ask Her”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 8, page 9

      Synonyms: shop

   3. countablehistoricaluncountableA workhouse.

      To this the pauper replied that he did not want that, and that rather than be sent to the house he would look out for work.

      1834, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Reports from the Commissioners, volume 29, page 169

7. countableuncountableThe audience for a live theatrical or similar performance.First known use 10th c.

   After her swan-song, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

   1 more example

   Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.

   1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], chapter 2, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020

8. countableuncountablegovernmentA building where a deliberative assembly meets; whence the assembly itself, particularly a component of a legislature.First known use 10th c.

   The petition was so ridiculous that the house rejected it after minimal debate.

9. countableuncountableA dynasty; a family with its ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble one.First known use 10th c.

   A curse lay upon the House of Atreus.

10. countablefigurativelyuncountableA place of rest or repose.First known use 9th c.

    Like a pestilence, it doth infect / The houses of the brain.

    1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

    1 more example

    Such hate was his, when his last breath / Renounced the peaceful house of death […].

    1815, Walter Scott, “(please specify the page)”, in The Lord of the Isles, a Poem, Edinburgh: […] [F]or Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; by James Ballantyne and Co., […], →OCLC

11. countableuncountableA grouping of schoolchildren for the purposes of competition in sports and other activities.First known use 19th c.

    I was a member of Spenser house when I was at school.

12. countableuncountableAn animal's shelter or den, or the shell of an animal such as a snail, used for protection.First known use 10th c.
13. countableuncountableastrologyOne of the twelve divisions of an astrological chart.First known use 14th c.

    Since there was a limited number of planets, houses and signs of the zodiac, the astrologers tended to reduce human potentialities to a set of fixed types and to postulate only a limited number of possible variations.

    1971, Sir Keith Vivian Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, The Folio Society, published 2012, →ISBN, page 313

14. countableuncountablecartomancyThe fourth Lenormand card.
15. archaiccountableuncountableboard gamesA square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.First known use 16th c.
16. countableuncountableball gamesThe four concentric circles where points are scored on the ice.First known use 19th c.
17. countableuncountableLotto; bingo.First known use 20th c.
18. uncountableA children's game in which the players pretend to be members of a household.

    As the babysitter, Emma always acted as the mother whenever the kids demanded to play house.

19. UScountabledialectaluncountableA small stand of trees in a swamp.
20. countableuncountablesudokuA set of cells in a sudoku puzzle which must contain each digit exactly once, such as a row, column, or 3×3 box.
21. countableslanguncountableAmerican footballThe end zone.

present singular third person houses · participle present housing · participle past housed · past housed

1. transitiveTo keep within a structure or container.

   The car is housed in the garage.

   3 more examples

   Houſe your choiceſt Carnations, or rather ſet them under a Pent-houſe againſt a South-wall, ſo as a covering being thrown over them to preſerve them in extremity of weather, they may yet enjoy the freer air at all other times.

   1669, John Evelyn, “Kalendarium Hortense: OrThe Gard’ners Almanac; […] [November.]”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], 3rd edition, London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, →OCLC, page 29

   Now, covered concrete troughs to house the cables are laid parallel with the railway lines, cheapening maintenance because of improved accessibility for inspection and repair.

   1961 November, “Talking of Trains: The North Eastern's new rail-mounted piling unit”, in Trains Illustrated, page 646

   Meanwhile, in permanent garrisons, soldiers had access to military hospitals and medical care, with Roman forts housing some of the most advanced medical facilities in the empire.

   2025 July 15, James Osborne, “Could you have survived as a Roman soldier? Here's the surprising truth about life in the ancient army”, in History Extra, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2025

   Synonyms: store

2. transitiveTo admit to residence; to harbor.

   Palladius wished him [...] to house all the Helots.

   The New Arcadia

   c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “[The First Booke] Chapter 1”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC, folio 41, recto

   Synonyms: accommodate, harbor, harbour, host, put up

3. To take shelter or lodging; to abide; to lodge.

   You shall not house with me.

   c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]

   1 more example

   The federation yesterday vowed to occupy Uotsuri, one of the islands, and build a permanent structure to house six members.

   1996 October 5, Robert Whymant, “Tokyo tries to calm islands row”, in The Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, Overseas News, page 15, column 2

4. transitiveastrologyTo dwell within one of the twelve astrological houses.

   Where Saturn houses.

   1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

5. transitiveTo contain or cover mechanical parts.

   Synonyms: enclose

6. transitiveTo contain one part of an object for the purpose of locating the whole.

   The joists were housed into the side walls, rather than being hung from them.

7. obsoleteTo drive to a shelter.

   Euen now we hous'd him in the Abbey heere

   c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

8. obsoleteTo deposit and cover, as in the grave.

   Oh! can your counsel his despair defer , Who now is housed in his sepulchre

   1636, G[eorge] S[andys], “(please specify the page)”, in A Paraphrase upon the Psalmes of David. And upon the Hymnes Dispersed throughout the Old and New Testaments, London: [Andrew Hebb […]], →OCLC

9. nauticalTo stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe.

   to house the upper spars

10. CanadaUSslangtransitiveTo eat; especially, to scarf down.

    All you wanna do is drink a fifth, house a lasagna, and hide in a dumpster until that baby stops crying.

    2019, Joe Lawson, Shameless (series 10, episode 4, "A Little Gallagher Goes a Long Way")

1. uncountableentertainmentHouse music.

   […] their music is influenced as much by Roxy Music and the Ramones as it is by house and techno pioneers.

   1998, Colin Larkin, The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music, London: Virgin Books, →ISBN, page 73

   2 more examples

   And while hard, minimal techno has become increasingly influenced by house and Oval-esque "glitch" stylistics, Exos keeps it old school on Strength, infusing his own style with the force of hard techno purists Surgeon and Oliver Ho.

   2001 March, Philip Sherburne, “Exos, Strength [album review]”, in CMJ New Music Monthly, number 91, Great Neck, N.Y.: College Media, →ISSN, page 66

   The first genre of American dance music to become popular in the United Kingdom was Chicago house. Although music from Detroit was soon imported as well, it was often treated as subcategory of house, and for many years the most common English term for electronic dance music in general was "house" or "acid house". […] During the formative years of techno and house, the musicians involved interacted in various ways.

   2006, Mark Jonathan Butler, Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music, Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, →ISBN, page 45

plural Houses

1. A particular chamber of political representation
   1. USabbreviationcountableellipsisuncountablegovernmentEllipsis of House of Representatives.

      Prop. 50 proponents, including Newsom and Democrats in the state Legislature and in Congress, say the proposition is needed to counteract Texas’ recent redistricting efforts to give the GOP more House seats.

      2025 October 2, Madison Hart, “Temecula City Council declares opposition to Prop. 50”, in The Press-Enterprise, archived from the original on 17 Dec 2025

   2. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableWestminsterian parliamentary systemsgovernmentEllipsis of House of Commons.
   3. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountablegovernmentEllipsis of House of Parliament.
   4. countableuncountablegovernmentMore 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, or where there is no other chamber (unicameral).
2. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA village in Quay County, New Mexico, United States.
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States.
3. countableuncountableA topographic surname from Middle English for someone residing in a house (as opposed to a hut) or in a religious house.

   The incumbent and embattled Henyard lost Tuesday’s Democratic primary to Trustee Jason House by a landslide, with House winning nearly 90% of the vote.

   2025 February 25, Gabriel Castillo, Jenna Barnes, Ben Bradley, Michael Johnson, Erik Runge, “Defeated in Dolton: Trustee Jason House beats incumbent Mayor Tiffany Henyard by landslide in primary”, in WGN-TV, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2025

4. countabledateduncountableOxford University slangChrist Church, Oxford.