housekeeping

plural housekeepings

1. countableuncountableThe chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.

   Those who with us would have their own little housekeepings and cooking, have not the means, nor perhaps the taste, for such domestic comfort, and take their victuals at the trattoria, or cook-shop.

   1842, Samuel Laing, Notes of a traveller, page 474

   1. countablemetonymicallyuncountableThose workers of an establishment who maintain a house through cleaning, etc.
2. countableuncountableAny general tasks that involve preparation.

   The computer program does some general housekeeping involving initializing variables and opening files before beginning the main processing.

3. countableuncountableAnnouncements that must be made before a show or event can begin.

   Thank you all for coming! Just some quick housekeeping before we get underway, the emergency exits are to your left...

4. countableuncountableHospitality; a liberal and hospitable table; a supply of provisions.

   "Care not thou about that," said Joliffe; "but tell me, softly and hastily, what is in the pantry?" "Small housekeeping enough," said Phoebe; "a cold capon and some comfits, and the great standing venison pasty, with plenty of spice — a manchet or two besides, and that is all."

   1826, [Walter Scott], Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC