Library / English Dictionary

HOUSE

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults

Example:

the children were playing house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

child's play; play (activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

Example:

she felt she had to get out of the house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)

abode; domicile; dwelling; dwelling house; habitation; home (housing that someone is living in)

Meronyms (parts of "house"):

library (a room where books are kept)

attic; garret; loft (floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage)

porch (a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance)

study (a room used for reading and writing and studying)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

villa (detached or semidetached suburban house)

tract house (one of many houses of similar design constructed together on a tract of land)

solar house (a house designed to use solar radiation for heating; usually has large areas of glass in front of heat-absorbing materials)

adobe house; sod house; soddy (a house built of sod or adobe laid in horizontal courses)

saltbox (a type of house built in New England; has two stories in front and one behind)

safe house (a house used as a hiding place or refuge by members of certain organizations)

row house; town house (a house that is one of a row of identical houses situated side by side and sharing common walls)

residence (the official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president))

ranch house (a one story house with a low pitched roof)

hall; manse; mansion; mansion house; residence (a large and imposing house)

maisonette; maisonnette (a small house)

lodging house; rooming house (a house where rooms are rented)

hunting lodge; lodge (a small (rustic) house used as a temporary shelter)

beach house (a house built on or near a beach)

boarding house; boardinghouse (a private house that provides accommodations and meals for paying guests)

bungalow; cottage (a small house with a single story)

cabin (a small house built of wood; usually in a wooded area)

chalet (a Swiss house with a sloping roof and wide eaves or a house built in this style)

chapterhouse; frat house; fraternity house (a house used as a residence by a chapter of a fraternity)

country house (a house (usually large and impressive) on an estate in the country)

detached house; single dwelling (a house that stands alone)

doll's house; dollhouse (a house so small that it is likened to a child's plaything)

duplex; duplex house; semidetached house (a house with two units sharing a common wall)

farmhouse (house for a farmer and family)

gatehouse (a house built at a gateway; usually the gatekeeper's residence)

guesthouse (a house separate from the main house; for housing guests)

hacienda (the main house on a ranch or large estate)

Derivation:

house (provide housing for)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A building in which something is sheltered or located

Example:

they had a large carriage house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

stash house (a house where weapons and supplies are hidden)

meat house; smokehouse (a small house where smoke is used to cure meat or fish)

pump house; pumping station (a house where pumps (e.g. to irrigate) are installed and operated)

oast house (a building containing an oast (a kiln for drying hops); usually has a conical or pyramidal roof)

meat house (a small house (on a farm) where meat is stored)

icehouse (a house for storing ice)

field house; sports arena (a building for indoor sports)

courthouse (a building that houses judicial courts)

bagnio; bathhouse (a building containing public baths)

Derivation:

house (provide housing for)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

Example:

the house was full

Synonyms:

house; theater; theatre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)

Meronyms (parts of "house"):

box office; ticket booth; ticket office (the office where tickets of admission are sold)

circle; dress circle (a curved section or tier of seats in a hall or theater or opera house; usually the first tier above the orchestra)

dressing room (a room in which you can change clothes)

greenroom (a backstage room in a theater where performers rest or have visitors)

orchestra (seating on the main floor in a theater)

orchestra pit; pit (lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers)

parquet (seating on the main floor between the orchestra and the parquet circle)

parquet circle; parterre (seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies))

stage (a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience)

standing room (room for passengers or spectators to stand)

theater stage; theatre stage (a stage in a theater on which actors can perform)

tiered seat (seating that is arranged in sloping tiers so that spectators in the back can see over the heads of those in front)

Domain category:

dramatic art; dramatics; dramaturgy; theater; theatre (the art of writing and producing plays)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

opera; opera house (a building where musical dramas are performed)

music hall; vaudeville theater; vaudeville theatre (a theater in which vaudeville is staged)

little theater; little theatre (a small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groups)

home theater; home theatre (television and video equipment designed to reproduce in the home the experience of being in a movie theater)

dinner theater; dinner theatre (a theater at which dinner is included in the price of admission)

cinema; movie house; movie theater; movie theatre; picture palace (a theater where films are shown)

arena theater; theater in the round (a theater arranged with seats around at least three sides of the stage)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Aristocratic family line

Example:

the House of York

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

family; family line; folk; kinfolk; kinsfolk; phratry; sept (people descended from a common ancestor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

royal family; royal house; royal line; royalty (royal persons collectively)

Medici (aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments

Example:

he worked for a brokerage house

Synonyms:

business firm; firm; house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

business; business concern; business organisation; business organization; concern (a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

auction house (a firm that conducts auctions)

law firm (a firm of lawyers)

dealer (a firm engaged in trading)

publisher; publishing company; publishing firm; publishing house (a firm in the publishing business)

consulting company; consulting firm (a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee)

accounting firm (a firm of accountants who provide accounting and auditing services for a fee)

corp; corporation (a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A social unit living together

Example:

the family refused to accept his will

Synonyms:

family; home; house; household; menage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

social unit; unit (an organization regarded as part of a larger social group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

broken home (a family in which the parents have separated or divorced)

conjugal family; nuclear family (a family consisting of parents and their children and grandparents of a marital partner)

extended family (a family consisting of the nuclear family and their blood relatives)

foster family (the family of a fosterling)

foster home (a household in which an orphaned or delinquent child is placed (usually by a social-service agency))

menage a trois (household for three; an arrangement where a married couple and a lover of one of them live together while sharing sexual relations)

Sense 8

Meaning:

An official assembly having legislative powers

Example:

a bicameral legislature has two houses

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

general assembly; law-makers; legislative assembly; legislative body; legislature (persons who make or amend or repeal laws)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "house"):

Seanad; Seanad Eireann (the upper house of the parliament of the Irish Republic)

Dail; Dail Eireann (the lower house of the parliament of the Irish Republic)

British House of Lords; House of Lords (the upper house of the British parliament)

British House of Commons; House of Commons (the lower house of the British parliament)

House of Burgesses (the lower house of legislature in colonial Virginia)

House of Representatives; U.S. House; U.S. House of Representatives; United States House of Representatives; US House; US House of Representatives (the lower legislative house of the United States Congress)

Sense 9

Meaning:

The audience gathered together in a theatre or cinema

Example:

he counted the house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

audience (a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance)

Meronyms (parts of "house"):

claque (a group of followers hired to applaud at a performance)

Sense 10

Meaning:

The members of a religious community living together

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

community (a group of people living in a particular local area)

Sense 11

Meaning:

The management of a gambling house or casino

Example:

the house gets a percentage of every bet

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

management (those in charge of running a business)

Sense 12

Meaning:

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

Synonyms:

house; mansion; planetary house; sign; sign of the zodiac; star sign

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("house" is a kind of...):

part; region (the extended spatial location of something)

Domain category:

astrology; star divination (a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon)

Instance hyponyms:

Fish; Pisces; Pisces the Fishes (the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20)

Aquarius; Aquarius the Water Bearer; Water Bearer (the eleventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about January 20 to February 18)

Capricorn; Capricorn the Goat; Goat (the tenth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about December 22 to January 19)

Archer; Sagittarius; Sagittarius the Archer (the ninth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about November 22 to December 21)

Scorpio; Scorpio the Scorpion; Scorpion (the eighth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about October 23 to November 21)

Balance; Libra; Libra the Balance; Libra the Scales (the seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22)

Virgin; Virgo; Virgo the Virgin (the sixth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about August 23 to September 22)

Leo; Leo the Lion; Lion (the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22)

Cancer; Cancer the Crab; Crab (the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22)

Gemini; Gemini the Twins; Twins (the third sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about May 21 to June 20)

Bull; Taurus; Taurus the Bull (the second sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about April 20 to May 20)

Aries; Aries the Ram; Ram (the first sign of the zodiac which the sun enters at the vernal equinox; the sun is in this sign from about March 21 to April 19)

Holonyms ("house" is a part of...):

zodiac (a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide housing for

Example:

The immigrants were housed in a new development outside the town

Synonyms:

domiciliate; house; put up

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "house" is one way to...):

shelter (provide shelter for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "house"):

rehouse (put up in a new or different housing)

home (provide with, or send to, a home)

accommodate; lodge (provide housing for)

chamber (place in a chamber)

take in (provide with shelter)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

house (a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families)

house (a building in which something is sheltered or located)

housing (structures collectively in which people are housed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Contain or cover

Example:

This box houses the gears

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "house" is one way to...):

accommodate; admit; hold (have room for; hold without crowding)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

housing (a protective cover designed to contain or support a mechanical component)

Credits

 Context examples: 

What does he do to Mobits? I will tell you, O White Man. He has a house. He puts Mobits in that house.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I put one hand on the edge of the house to steady myself.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I could not enter it, as I had not the key of the door leading to it from the house, but I have taken with my kodak views of it from various points.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Have I been twenty years in this man’s house, to be deceived about his voice?

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I was only too glad to get out of such a house.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was a pause, then a cry of surprise, and then a voice shouting from the house, “Bill's dead.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

For me it was only a pleasure outing, but I could see, as we drew near the house, that Jim was troubling in his mind lest we should find that things were amiss.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Close by the stern stood Black Simon with the pennon of the house of Loring.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In very severe cases, OCD patients are unable to leave their house or flat due to fears of contamination.

(Deep brain stimulation may significantly improve OCD symptoms, University of Cambridge)