house
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
house
▶noun /haʊs/ (pl. houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/)
- 1 a building for human habitation.
■ chiefly Scottish a dwelling that is one of several in a building.
■ a building in which animals live or in which things are kept.
- 2 a building in which people meet for a particular activity.
■ a firm or institution: a fashion house.
■ (the House) Brit. informal the Stock Exchange.
■ a restaurant or inn.
■ a theatre.
- 3 a religious community that occupies a particular building.
■ a residential building for pupils at a boarding school.
■ Brit. formal a college of a university.
- 4 a legislative or deliberative assembly.
■ (the House) (in the UK) the House of Commons or Lords; (in the US) the House of Representatives.
- 5 a dynasty.
- 6 (also house music) a style of fast electronic dance music typically having sparse, repetitive vocals.
- 7 Astrology a twelfth division of the celestial sphere.
- 1 (of an animal or plant) kept in, frequenting, or infesting buildings.
- 2 relating to a firm, institution, or society.
- 3 relating to medical staff resident at a hospital.
- 1 provide with shelter or accommodation.
- 2 provide space for.
■ enclose or encase.
– phrases
get on (or along) like a house on fire informal have a very good and friendly relationship.
go (all) round the houses Brit. take a circuitous route.
keep (or make) a House Brit. secure the presence of enough members for a quorum in the House of Commons.
keep house run a household.
on the house (of a drink or meal in a bar or restaurant) at the management's expense.
put (or set or get) one's house in order make necessary reforms.
get on (or along) like a house on fire informal have a very good and friendly relationship.
go (all) round the houses Brit. take a circuitous route.
keep (or make) a House Brit. secure the presence of enough members for a quorum in the House of Commons.
keep house run a household.
on the house (of a drink or meal in a bar or restaurant) at the management's expense.
put (or set or get) one's house in order make necessary reforms.
– derivatives
houseful noun (pl. housefuls),
houseless adjective.
houseful noun (pl. housefuls),
houseless adjective.
– origin OE hūs (n.), hūsian (v.), of Gmc origin.
'house' also found in these Oxford entries:
abode
- acid house
- A-frame
- almshouse
- androecium
- another
- apartment
- apportionment
- arsenal
- art house
- atrium
- backbencher
- backwoodsman
- backyard
- banshee
- barn
- barracks
- bawdy house
- bawn
- bed and breakfast
- bedder
- below
- belvedere
- Beth Din
- billet
- Black Maria
- Black Rod
- blockhouse
- board
- boarding house
- bower
- box
- breezeway
- brickwork
- bridging loan
- bring
- brooder
- brothel
- bungalow
- busy Lizzie
- butler
- cabbage palm
- cabildo
- cabin
- cafe
- carioca
- carport
- casino
- cellar
- chalet

