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, .): at Oxford, 'The House,' Christ Church College: the audience at a place of entertainment, a theatre, . (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′le , without a house or home: having no shelter.— ns. House′-line ( naut. ), a small line of three strands, for seizings, .; House′maid , a maid employed to keep a house clean, .; 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′-phys i′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 mistre 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 po ible; 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 Se ion, its jurisdiction chiefly appellate; Outer House , the lower branch of the Court of Se ion.— 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 .]