Word
house
/ˈhaʊs/
Definition
n. a building where people live, usually for one family. You use this word for the physical structure rather than the feeling of being at home.
n. a building that serves as a living space for one or more families. Often used to distinguish a detached or semi-detached structure from an apartment or flat.
Examples
“They are building a new house on our street.”
“After living in a small apartment for years, they finally saved enough money to buy a house with a garden.”
“The architect designed the house to maximize natural light, using large glass panels that blur the boundary between the interior living space and the surrounding woodland.”
Examples
simple
“They are building a new house on our street.”
contextual
“After living in a small apartment for years, they finally saved enough money to buy a house with a garden.”
complex
“The architect designed the house to maximize natural light, using large glass panels that blur the boundary between the interior living space and the surrounding woodland.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verbs 'build', 'buy', or 'rent'; distinguished from 'home' which carries more emotional or personal significance.
Pitfall
I am going to my house now.
I am going home now.
Learners often use 'house' when they mean 'home' to describe their destination; 'home' is used as an adverb of direction without a preposition.
Confusables
House is the physical structure or building; home is the place where you live and feel a sense of belonging.
RememberHouse is the shell; home is the heart.
Etymology
* As an English surname, from the noun house. * Also as an English surname, variant of Howes. * Also as a topographic English surname, from a derivative of Old English hyse (“place overgrown with water plants”), from hos (“bramble, thorn, sprout”). This may have also made its way into Hose, Huss. * As a German surname, calqued from the surname Haus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Idioms
basket house — A cafe or similar establishment where musical performances are given and the performers are then paid with money placed in a basket by members of the audience.
bet the house — Synonym of bet the farm.
bottom the house — To clean a house from top to bottom; to clean a house extremely thoroughly.
bring down the house — To garner enthusiastic or wild applause or laughter.
eat someone out of house and home — To consume so much of someone's store of food that little or none is left for the owner.
go around the houses — Do something (especially talking) circuitously.
house cooling party — A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.
house nigger — A subservient or accultured black person; an Uncle Tom or black race traitor.
house of cards — A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.
house of God — A church.
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house of ill fame — A brothel
house poor — In financial difficulty because of the excessive cost of owning a house, or because the cost of home ownership forms too high a proportion of household income.
keep house — To take care of domestic chores; work as a housekeeper.
move house — To change one's place of residence.
play with house money — To be in a situation where little or no personal risk can be incurred.
put one's house in order — To organize one's financial and other affairs, especially in preparation for a life-changing event.
the call is coming from inside the house — A problem is the result of internal factors or agents, and is not the result of outside influence or interference.
throw stones in a glass house — To criticize others when one has similar weaknesses oneself.
Domains
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englishreference.com/q/house