house

house ► NOUN 1) a building for human habitation. 2) a building in which animals live or in which things are kept: a reptile house. 3) a building devoted to a particular activity: a house of prayer. 4) a firm or institution: a fashion house. 5) a religious community that occupies a particular building. 6) chiefly Brit. a body of pupils living in the same building at a boarding school. 7) a legislative or deliberative assembly. 8) (the House) (in the UK) the House of Commons or Lords; (in the US) the House of Representatives. 9) a dynasty. 10) (also house music) a style of fast popular dance music. 11) Astrology a twelfth division of the celestial sphere.

► ADJECTIVE 1) (of an animal or plant) kept in, frequenting, or infesting buildings. 2) relating to medical staff resident at a hospital. 3) relating to a firm, institution, or society.

► VERB 1) provide with shelter or accommodation. 2) provide space for. 3) enclose or encase.

● get on like a house on fire — Cf. ↑get on like a house on fire

● a house divided cannot stand — Cf. ↑a house divided cannot stand

● keep house — Cf. ↑keep house

● on the house — Cf. ↑on the house

● p ut one's house in order — Cf. ↑p ut one's house in order

DERIVATIVES houseful noun.

ORIGIN Old English.