House Live I People Haʊs Make Building Family

• we live in a two-bedroom house.
• it was so hot outside we stayed in the house.
• he went into the house.
• i had to get out of the house.

house

1. a building for people to live in, usually for one family
• SEE ALSO Buck House
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/buck-house
• We live in a two-bedroom house.
• It was so hot outside we stayed in the house.
• He went into the house.
• I had to get out of the house.
• A light was on inside the house.
• There was a police van parked outside the house.
• Let's have a party at my house.
• We need to build more houses in a way that respects the needs of the environment.
• Investors were buying houses to rent them out.
• What time do you leave the house in the morning (= to go to work)?
• We're moving house (= leaving our house and going to live in a different one).
• House prices (= prices of houses and flats) in London are still rising.
• We went on a tour of the house and grounds (= for example, at a country house, open to the public).
• They went from house to house, begging for food.

Extra Examples

• I finally tracked him down at his house in Denver.
• I live in a group/shared house.
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house.
• It's stressful moving house.
• Our challenge was to add onto the house in a respectful way.
• Police officers have been searching the house for clues.
• She shares a house with three other nurses.
• The bank offers attractive rates to first-time house buyers.
• The great house stood on the edge of the town.
• The house faces south, making the most of the sun.
• The house loomed over him as he waited at the front door.
• The house stood a short distance from the wood.
• Their house was repossessed when they couldn't keep up their mortgage payments.
• They bought an old house and are gradually renovating it.
• They built their own dream house overlooking the river.
• They helped us with our house move.
• They lived in a modest semi-detached house in the suburbs.
• They've moved house and have invited us to their house-warming on Saturday.
• We let out our house when we moved to America.
• We're hoping to extend the house.
• We're only planning on renting the house out for a few years.
• We had to move out of our house.
• a house occupied by students
• houses overlooking the park
• She went from house to house collecting signatures for her campaign.
2. all the people living in a house
• SYNONYM household
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/household
• Be quiet or you'll wake the whole house!
3. a building used for a particular purpose, for example for holding meetings in or keeping animals or goods in
• SEE ALSO doghouse
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/doghouse
• an opera house
• a henhouse
4. used in the names of office buildings
• SEE ALSO Bush House
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/bush-house
• Their offices are on the second floor of Chester House.
5. a company involved in a particular kind of business; an institution of a particular kind
• SEE ALSO clearing house
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/clearing-house
• a fashion/banking/publishing house
• a religious house (= a convent or a monastery)

Extra Examples

• The publishing house made its name by encouraging first-time writers.
• She was a house model for Gucci (= a model employed by hte Gucci fashion house).
6. a restaurant
• SEE ALSO free house
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/free-house
• a steakhouse
• a coffee house
• a bottle of house wine (= the cheapest wine available in a particular restaurant, sometimes not listed by name)
7. a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country
• SEE ALSO lower house
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/lower-house
• Legislation requires approval by both houses of parliament.

Extra Examples

• The ‘Bundersrat’ is the upper house of the German parliament.
• Elections to the lower house of parliament are by proportional representation.
8. the House of Commons or the House of Lords in the UK; the House of Representatives in the US
9. a group of people discussing something in a formal debate
• I urge the house to vote against the motion.
10. the part of a theatre where the audience sits; the audience at a particular performance
• SEE ALSO front of house
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/front-of-house_2
• playing to a full/packed/empty house (= to a large/small audience)
• The spotlight faded and the house lights came up.
11. (in some British schools) an organized group of students of different ages who compete against other groups in sports competitions, etc. and who may, in boarding schools, live together in one building
12. an old and famous family
• the House of Windsor (= the British royal family)
13. a type of electronic dance music with a fast beat
14. to make everyone laugh or cheer, especially at a performance in the theatre
15. to remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted
• The new manager said he wanted to clean house.
16. to make your house clean
17. to eat a lot of somebody else’s food
• How much longer is he staying? He’s eating us out of house and home.
18. to become friends quickly and have a very friendly relationship
19. to do something or ask a question in a very complicated way instead of in a simple, direct way
• You did go all round the houses didn’t you? Why not get straight to the point?
20. to cook, clean and do all the other jobs around the house
• She kept house for her elderly parents.
21. used to say that everyone was very emotional about something
• There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they announced their engagement.
22. drinks or meals that are on the house are provided free by the pub or restaurant and you do not have to pay
• Have a drink on the house.
23. you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you
24. to play at being a family in its home
• The children were playing house, giving dinner to their dolls.
25. to organize your own business or improve your own behaviour before you try to criticize somebody else
26. very safe
27. to make a place your home
• They set up house together in a small flat in Brighton.
• They want to set up house together.

Word Origin

• Old English hūs (noun), hūsian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch huis, German Haus (nouns), and Dutch huizen, German hausen (verbs).