House Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

house

1 of 2

noun

plural houses ˈhau̇-zəz How to pronounce house (audio)
also
-səz How to pronounce house (audio)
often attributive
1
: a building that serves as living quarters for one or a few families : home
invited them to her house for dinner
a two-family house
2
a(1)
: a shelter or refuge (such as a nest or den) of a wild animal
(2)
: a natural covering (such as a test or shell) that encloses and protects an animal or a colony of zooids
b
: a building in which something is sheltered or stored
a carriage house
3
a
astrology : one of the 12 equal sectors (see sector entry 1 sense 1a) in which the celestial sphere is divided
b
astrology : a sign of the zodiac that is the seat of a planet's greatest influence
the house occupied by Jupiter
4
a
: household
woke up the whole house
b
: a family including ancestors, descendants, and kindred
the house of Tudor
5
a
: a residence for a religious community or for students
a fraternity house
b
: the community or students living in such a residence
6
a
government : a legislative, deliberative, or consultative assembly
especially : one constituting a division of a bicameral body
a bill approved by both houses of Congress
often used in capitalized form as the shortened name of a specific house
The bill passed in both the House and the Senate.
MPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Government's Brexit Bill in the House of Commons. … The House voted in favour of the bill by 498 to 114 … Chloe Chaplain
b
: the building or chamber where such an assembly meets
c
: a quorum of such an assembly
7
a
: a place of business or entertainment
a movie house
the local fish house
a house of prostitution
Save room for a soufflé, the century-long house specialty …Thomas P. Farley
a house cocktail [=a cocktail whose recipe was created by the bar, restaurant, etc. at which it is served]
b(1)
: a business organization
a publishing house
(2)
: a gambling establishment
c
: the audience in a theater or concert hall
a full house on opening night
8
curling : the circular area 12 feet in diameter surrounding the tee and within which a curling stone must rest in order to count
9
[from The Warehouse, Chicago dance club that pioneered the style] : a type of dance music mixed by a disc jockey that features overdubbing with a heavy repetitive drumbeat and repeated electronic melody lines
houseful noun
houseless adjective
houselessness noun

house

2 of 2

verb

housed; housing

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide with living quarters or shelter
a place to house their guests
b
: to store in a building
the barn where they house their boat
2
: to encase, enclose, or shelter as if by putting in a house (see house entry 1)
so timorous a soul housed in so impressive a bodyA. W. Long
3
: to serve as a shelter or container for : contain
buildings that house government offices

intransitive verb

: to take shelter : lodge
Phrases
on the house
: without charge : free

Examples of house in a Sentence

Noun Would you like to come to my house for dinner? I spent the weekend just puttering around the house. He made enough noise to wake the whole house. Verb More prisons are needed to house the growing number of inmates. The museum houses an impressive collection of jewels. The carpenter built casing to house the hot water pipes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As a result, Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed the first commissioner of the league and proceeded to clean house. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 The film would also go on to be a box office hit and Keaton would be nominated for an Academy Award for her role a playwright forced to care for the ailing playboy who circumstances land in her house. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Amid the impending start of March Madness, college basketball fans across the country may happily forgo a few days of work or house chores to instead park themselves in front of the nearest screen airing the NCAA tournament. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Much like Harry Potter houses, star signs or Myers-Briggs tests, there is perhaps some (some) truth to color analysis. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 One eight-year-old girl drew her large, happy house, then, next to it, added a puddle of blood. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024 Law enforcement officials from the Enforcement Directorate, a federal financial crime agency, arrested Kejriwal, who is both the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the chief minister of Delhi, at his house Thursday evening. Sania Farooqui, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Yes, Californians do carry a lot of debt — mainly the result of sky-high house prices. Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Three speakers talk about Cincinnati-area Settlement houses, which were outreach centers in the 1880s that helped ease immigrants into American life. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
Orbus Visual Communications will house all production for two of its brands in the 225,000-square-foot plant at 10701 Hambright Road: SEG Systems and Fabric Images, according to a March 11 company news release. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2024 Don’t miss the Jerome Art Center, a collection of studios and shops housed in the old Jerome High School (887 Hampshire Ave., 928-592-7589, www.jeromeartcenter.com). Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 The Special Items & Powers tab houses some items that were in the Wallet before, like Forest Magic and getting a key to the Sewers. Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024 In addition, the bow area can house a 26-foot tender and two Jet Skis. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 The building's three upper levels will house 12 two-bedroom apartments, four on each floor. The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 According to a label on its exterior, a nearby freezer housed ice cream, while another room was filled with boxes of cruise essentials like Grey Goose Vodka and Crown Royal whiskey. Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 The new complex, off Interstate 75 near East Ferry Street, will house the county's 2,280-bed jail, juvenile detention facility, criminal courthouse and sheriff and prosecutor staff and administrative offices. Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024 The 12-year-old boy is being housed at the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center, where his court hearings have also taken place. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'house.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English hous, from Old English hūs; akin to Old High German hūs house

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of house was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near house

Cite this Entry

“House.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/house. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

house

1 of 2 noun
plural houses ˈhau̇-zəz How to pronounce house (audio)
1
: a building in which one or more families live
2
a
: something (as a nest or den) used by an animal for shelter
b
: a building in which something is stored
carriage house
3
a
: one of the 12 equal sections into which the celestial sphere is divided in astrology
b
: a sign of the zodiac that is the seat of a planet's greatest influence
4
b
: family sense 2
especially : a royal or noble family
5
: a residence for a religious community or for students
6
: a body of persons assembled to make and discuss laws
7
a
: a place of business or entertainment
went to a movie house
b
: a business firm
a publishing house
c
: the audience in a theater or concert hall
played to a full house

house

2 of 2 verb
housed; housing
1
a
: to provide with living quarters or shelter
b
: to store in a house
2
: to encase or enclose as if by putting in a house
3
: to take shelter : lodge
Etymology

Noun

Old English hūs "house, home" — related to husband

Legal Definition

house

noun
1
a
: a building (as a single or multiple family house, apartment, or hotel room) serving as living quarters and usually including the curtilage
b
: a building (as one's residence or a locked place of business) in which one is entitled to protection (as from warrantless searches and seizures) under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
2
a
: a legislative assembly especially that constitutes a division of a bicameral body
b
: the building or chamber where such an assembly meets
c
: a quorum of such an assembly

Biographical Definition

House

biographical name

Edward Mandell 1858–1938 Colonel House American diplomat

More from Merriam-Webster on house

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!