# Houston

/ˈhjustən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/houston
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the city

noun · CEFR B1

a large city in the state of Texas in the United States.

For teachers: the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States.

- We spent three days in Houston visiting the museums and the famous space center.
- Houston has grown into a global hub for the energy industry and international trade, boasting one of the most diverse populations in North America.

### 2. NASA mission control

noun · CEFR B2

the name used by astronauts to talk to the people in charge of their flight on Earth.

For teachers: a metonym for the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, specifically the Mission Control Center that manages human spaceflight.

- The astronaut said, 'Houston, we have a problem,' when the equipment failed.
- During the lunar landing, the communication link between the module and Houston remained the crew's only connection to the engineers on the ground.

### 3. a surname

noun · CEFR B2

a common last name for people in English-speaking countries.

For teachers: a habitational surname of Scottish origin, now widely distributed throughout the English-speaking world.

- The singer Whitney Houston was one of the most successful artists of her time.
- The street was named after Sam Houston, a key figure in the history of the Texas Revolution.

## Examples

- Houston is the largest city in Texas.
- The astronauts contacted Houston to report a minor technical issue with the oxygen sensors.
- As a global hub for the energy sector and aerospace engineering, Houston attracts a diverse international population and remains a critical node in the American economy.

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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.