Meanings
plural almshouses · alternative alms-house
- A building of residence for the poor, sick or elderly of a parish. Originally founded by the Church, and usually funded by charitable donations.
1 more example
Much they saw, and far they went, and many homes they visited, but always with a happy end. The Spirit stood beside sick beds, and they were cheerful; on foreign lands, and they were close at home; by struggling men, and they were patient in their greater hope; by poverty, and it was rich. In almshouse, hospital, and jail, in misery's every refuge, where vain man in his little brief authority had not made fast the door, and barred the Spirit out, he left his blessing, and taught Scrooge his precepts.
1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Three. The Second of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 116Synonyms: poorhouse
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA building of residence for the poor, sick or elderly of a parish. Originally founded by the Church, and usually funded by charitable donations.
Origin
- Middle Englishalmeshous
- Englishalmshouse
From Middle English almeshous, almassehous, equivalent to alms + house.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans aalmoeseniershuis
- aalmoeseniershuisTranslations
Dutch aalmoezeniershuis
- aalmoezeniershuisTranslations
Estonian seek
- seekTranslations
French aumônerie
- aumônerieTranslations
German Armenhaus
- ArmenhausTranslations
Polish przytułek
- przytułekTranslations
Swedish fattigstuga
- fattigstugaTranslations
Cite this entry
almshouse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/almshouse
“almshouse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/almshouse. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “almshouse,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/almshouse.
Source: almshouse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.