rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryhouseDwelling and shelter
noun / verb / adjective

house

HOWSS/haʊs/

A building providing accommodation for a group of people.

The two-story house has a front step and a potted plant.

One modest two-story detached home with front door, two ordinary windows, small front step and a potted plant.
Etymology
houseOld Englishdwelling; shelter

Old English hūs already meant a dwelling or building used as a residence, so the modern sense preserves that basic meaning. Its deeper origin is unknown.

In context

US National Archives20:54
the almost all-male boarding house which is where congressmen lived
Lady First: The World of First Lady Sarah Polk

More examples

  • The shelter houses families who need a temporary place to stay.
  • This cabinet houses our collection of old records.
  • She works as an editor at a publishing house.
  • The actors perform to a full house every night.

Forms

house · houses · housed · housing

housing noun — Homes and other places for people to live.

Similar words

home
Emphasizes where someone lives or belongs, not the building itself.
dwelling
A more formal term that also includes apartments and other residences.
shelter
Emphasizes protection or temporary lodging rather than a permanent home.