noun
/ˈhaʊs/ , pl houses /ˈhaʊzəz/
[count] :a building in which a family lives
[singular] :the people who live in a house
[count] a structure or shelter in which animals are kept - see also birdhouse, doghouse, henhouse
a building in which something is stored
[count] :a building where students or members of a religious group live
[count] :a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country
b the House :house of representatives
[count] a specified kind of business
a place or building where a specified kind of activity or entertainment occurs
a particular kind of restaurant
A house wine is a basic wine that is always available in a restaurant. A house salad and a house (salad) dressing are the regular salad and dressing in a U.S. restaurant.
[count] :the audience in a theater or concert hall
To bring down the house or to bring the house down is to get great approval and applause or laughter from an audience.
House [count] :a royal or noble family including ancestors and all the people who are related to them
[noncount] :a type of electronic dance music with a heavy, regular beat - called also house music
clean house
US
to clean the floors, furniture, etc., inside a house
to make important basic changes in an organization, business, etc., in order to correct problems
(from) house to house
If you go (from) house to house, you go to each house or apartment in an area and do or ask for something.
house in order
To put/get/set (etc.) your house in order is to improve or correct the way you do things.
keep house
to do the work that is needed to take care of a house
like a house on fire
informal :extremely well
on the house
without charge :free
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
play house
When children play house they pretend that they are adults and that they are doing the things that adults do in a house, such as cooking and serving food.
set up house
to become settled in a house where you are going to live
verb
houses; housed; housing
[+ obj] to provide shelter or a living space for (someone)
to be a shelter for (something) :to store or contain (something)
to surround or enclose (something) in order to protect it