House

House, hows, n. a building for dwelling in: a dwelling-place: an inn: household affairs: a family: kindred: a trading establishment: one of the twelve divisions of the heavens in astrology: one of the estates of the legislature (House of Lords or Upper House, House of Commons or Lower House; also Upper and Lower Houses of Convocation, House of Representatives, &c.): at Oxford, 'The House,' Christ Church College: the audience at a place of entertainment, a theatre, &c. (a full house, a thin house): (coll.) the workhouse:—pl. Houses (howz′ez).—v.t. House (howz), to protect by covering: to shelter: to store: to provide houses for.—v.i. to take shelter: to reside.—ns. House′-ā′gent, one who has the letting of houses; House′-boat, a barge with a deck-cabin that may serve as a dwelling-place; House′-bote, wood that a tenant may take to repair his house, or for fuel; House′-break′er, one who breaks open and enters a house by day for the purpose of stealing; House′-break′ing; House′-carl, a member of a king or noble's bodyguard, in Danish and early English history; House′-dū′ty, -tax, a tax laid on inhabited houses; House′-fac′tor (Scot.), a house-agent; House′-fa′ther, the male head of a household or community; House′-flag, the distinguishing flag of a shipowner or company of such; House′-fly, the common fly universally distributed; House′hold, those who are held together in the same house, and compose a family.—adj. pertaining to the house and family.—ns. House′holder, the holder or tenant of a house; House′keeper, a female servant who keeps or has the chief care of the house: one who stays much at home; House′keeping, the keeping or management of a house or of domestic affairs: hospitality.—adj. domestic.—n. House′-leek, a plant with red star-like flowers and succulent leaves that grows on the roofs of houses.—adj. House′less, without a house or home: having no shelter.—ns. House′-line (naut.), a small line of three strands, for seizings, &c.; House′maid, a maid employed to keep a house clean, &c.; House′-mate, one sharing a house with another; House′-moth′er, the mother of a family, the female head of a family; House′-room, room or place in a house; House′-stew′ard, a steward who manages the household affairs of a great family; House′-sur′geon, the surgeon or medical officer in a hospital who resides in the house—so also House′-physi′cian; House′-warm′ing, an entertainment given when a family enters a new house, as if to warm it; Housewife (hows′wīf, huz′wif, or huz′if), the mistress of a house: a female domestic manager: a small case for articles of female work.—adj. House′wifely.—n. House′wifery—(Scot.) House′wifeskep.—House of call, a house where the journeymen of a particular trade call when out of work; House of correction, a jail; House of God, prayer, or worship, a place of worship; House of ill fame, a bawdy-house.—A household word, a familiar saying; Bring down the house, to evoke very loud applause in a place of entertainment; Cry from the house-top, to announce in the most public manner possible; Household gods, one's favourite domestic things—a playful use of the Roman penates (q.v.); Household suffrage, or franchise, the right of householders to vote for members of parliament; Household troops, six regiments whose peculiar duty is to attend the sovereign and defend the metropolis; Housemaid's knee, an inflammation of the sac between the knee-pan and the skin, to which housemaids are specially liable through kneeling on damp floors.—Inner House, the higher branch of the Scotch Court of Session, its jurisdiction chiefly appellate; Outer House, the lower branch of the Court of Session.—Keep a good house, to keep up a plentifully supplied table; Keep house, to maintain or manage an establishment; Keep open house, to give entertainments to all comers; Keep the house, to be confined to the house; Like a house afire, with astonishing rapidity; The Household, the royal domestic establishment. [A.S. hús; Goth. hus, Ger. haus.]