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.

▶adjective

• 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.

▶verb /haʊz/ 

• 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.

– derivatives
houseful noun (pl. housefuls),
houseless adjective.

– origin OE hūs (n.), hūsian (v.), of Gmc origin.