# house nigger

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/house-nigger
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A subservient or accultured black person; an Uncle Tom or black race traitor.

## Origin

By analogy with slaves that worked predominantly indoors during US slavery who were trained with more skills than basic field hands or plantation niggers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.