̘. ̈n.haus n. & v. --n. (pl.) 1 a a
building for human habitation. b (attrib.) (of an animal)
kept in, frequenting, or infesting houses (house-cat; housefly). 2 a building for a
special purpose (opera-house; summer-house). 3 a building for
keeping animals or goods (hen-house). 4 a a
religious community. b
the buildings occupied by
it. 5 a a
body of pupils
living in the
same building at a
boarding-school. b
such a building. c a
division of a day-school for games, competitions, etc. 6 a a
college of a
university. b (the House)
Christ Church, Oxford. 7 a
family,
esp. a
royal family; a
dynasty (House of York). 8 a a firm or
institution. b
its place of
business. c (the House)
Brit. colloq. the
Stock Exchange. 9 a a
legislative or
deliberative assembly. b the building
where it meets. c (the House) (in the UK) the House of
Commons or Lords; (in the US) the House of Representatives. 10 a an
audience in a
theatre,
cinema, etc. b a
performance in a theatre or cinema (second house starts at 9 o'clock). c a theatre. 11 Astrol. a
twelfth part of the heavens. 12 (attrib.) living in a
hospital as a
member of staff (house
officer; house
physician; house surgeon). 13 a a place of
public refreshment, a
restaurant or
inn (coffee-house; public house). b (attrib.) (of wine) selected by the
management of a restaurant,
hotel, etc. to be offered at a special
price. 14 US a
brothel. 15
Sc. a
dwelling that is
one of
several in a building. 16 Brit. sl. =
HOUSEY-HOUSEY. 17 an animal's
den,
shell, etc. 18 (the House) Brit.
hist. euphem. the
workhouse. --v.tr. 1
provide (a
person, a
population, etc.)
with a house or houses or
other accommodation. 2
store (goods etc.). 3
enclose or
encase (a part or fitting). 4
fix in a
socket,
mortise, etc. øas
safe as houses thoroughly or completely safe. house-agent Brit. an
agent for the
sale and letting of houses. house and
home (as an emphatic) home. house
arrest detention in one's
own house
etc.,
not in
prison. house-broken = house-trained. house church 1 a
charismatic church
independent of
traditional denominations. 2 a
group meeting in a house as part of the activities of a church. house-dog a
dog kept to
guard a house. house-father a
man in
charge of a house, esp. of a home for
children. house-flag a flag indicating to
what firm a
ship belongs. house
guest a guest staying for
some days in a
private house. house-hunting seeking a house to live in. house-husband a
husband who carries
out the
household duties traditionally carried out by a
housewife. house
lights the lights in the
auditorium of a theatre. house
magazine a magazine published by a firm and dealing
mainly with its own activities. house-martin a
black and
white swallow-like
bird, Delichon urbica,
which builds a
mud nest on house walls etc. house-mother a
woman in charge of a house, esp. of a home for children. house of cards 1 an
insecure scheme etc. 2 a
structure built (usu. by a child) out of playing cards. House of Commons (in the UK) the elected
chamber of
Parliament. house of
God a church, a place of
worship. house of
ill fame archaic a brothel. House of Keys (in the
Isle of Man) the elected chamber of
Tynwald. House of Lords 1 (in the UK) the chamber of Parliament composed of peers and bishops. 2 a
committee of specially qualified members of
this appointed as the
ultimate judicial appeal court. House of Representatives the lower house of the US
Congress and other legislatures. house-parent a house-mother or house-father. house party a group of guests staying at a
country house etc. house-plant a
plant grown indoors. house-proud
attentive to, or unduly preoccupied with, the
care and
appearance of the home. Houses of Parliament 1 the Houses of Lords and Commons regarded
together. 2 the buildings where
they meet. house
sparrow a
common brown and
grey sparrow, Passer domesticus, which nests in the
eaves and roofs of houses. house
style a
particular printer's or publisher's etc. preferred
way of
presentation. house-to-house performed at or carried to
each house in
turn. house-trained Brit. 1 (of animals) trained to be
clean in the house. 2 colloq. well-mannered. house-warming a party celebrating a
move to a
new home.
keep house provide for or
manage a household. keep (or make) a House
secure the
presence of
enough members for a
quorum in the House of Commons. keep
open house provide
general hospitality. keep to the house (or keep the house) stay indoors. like a house on
fire 1 vigorously, fast. 2 successfully, excellently. on the house at the management's
expense,
free.
play house play at
being a family in its home. put (or set) one's house in
order make necessary reforms. set up house
begin to live in a
separate dwelling. øøhouseful n. (pl. -fuls). houseless adj. [OE hus, husian, f. Gmc]