1house 
/ˈhaʊs/ noun
plural hous·es /ˈhaʊs/ noun /ˈhaʊzəz/ 1 a [count] : a building in which a family lives
▪ Would you like to come to my house for dinner? ▪ a two-family house ▪ I spent the weekend just puttering around the house. — often used before another noun ▪ house pets/plants ▪ a house guest ▪ house parties
b [singular] : the people who live in a house
▪ He made enough noise to wake the whole house. 2 [count] a : a structure or shelter in which animals are kept — see also birdhouse, doghouse, henhouse
b : a building in which something is stored
▪ a carriage house — see also boathouse, warehouse 3 [count] : a building where students or members of a religious group live
▪ a fraternity house 4 a [count] : a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country
▪ The bill has been approved by both houses of Congress. ▪ The two houses of the U.S. Congress are the Senate [=the upper house] and the House of Representatives. [=the lower house] ▪ The two houses of the British Parliament are the House of Lords [=the upper house] and the House of Commons. [=the lower house]
b the House : house of representatives
▪ They hope to win enough seats in the election to regain control of the House. — see also house of commons, house of lords 5 [count] a : a specified kind of business
▪ a publishing house ▪ fashion houses ▪ an investment banking house ▪ a brokerage house
b : a place or building where a specified kind of activity or entertainment occurs
▪ an auction house ▪ a house of God/worship [=a place, such as a church, where people go for religious services] ▪ (US) a movie house [=a cinema, (US) a movie theater] : a place where an illegal activity occurs ▪ a gambling house ▪ a house of prostitution — see also opera house
c : a particular kind of restaurant
▪ We had dinner at the local fish house. ▪ a seafood house ▪ Oyster stew is a specialty of the house. [=a special dish that is featured in a 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.
▪ Would you like the house salad or a spinach salad? ▪ The house dressing is a creamy vinaigrette. — see also coffeehouse, steak house 6 [count] : the audience in a theater or concert hall
▪ They had a full/packed house on opening night. ▪ When the movie ended, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. [=everyone had tears in their eyes] ◊To bring down the house or to bring the house down is to get great approval and applause or laughter from an audience.
▪ His performance brought down the house night after night. 7 House [count] : a royal or noble family including ancestors and all the people who are related to them
▪ the House of Tudor 8 [noncount] : a type of electronic dance music with a heavy, regular beat —called also house music
▪ Would you like to come to my house for dinner? ▪ a two-family house ▪ I spent the weekend just puttering around the house. — often used before another noun ▪ house pets/plants ▪ a house guest ▪ house parties
b [singular] : the people who live in a house
▪ He made enough noise to wake the whole house.
b : a building in which something is stored
▪ a carriage house — see also boathouse, warehouse
▪ a fraternity house
▪ The bill has been approved by both houses of Congress. ▪ The two houses of the U.S. Congress are the Senate [=the upper house] and the House of Representatives. [=the lower house] ▪ The two houses of the British Parliament are the House of Lords [=the upper house] and the House of Commons. [=the lower house]
b the House : house of representatives
▪ They hope to win enough seats in the election to regain control of the House. — see also house of commons, house of lords
▪ a publishing house ▪ fashion houses ▪ an investment banking house ▪ a brokerage house
b : a place or building where a specified kind of activity or entertainment occurs
▪ an auction house ▪ a house of God/worship [=a place, such as a church, where people go for religious services] ▪ (US) a movie house [=a cinema, (US) a movie theater] : a place where an illegal activity occurs ▪ a gambling house ▪ a house of prostitution — see also opera house
c : a particular kind of restaurant
▪ We had dinner at the local fish house. ▪ a seafood house ▪ Oyster stew is a specialty of the house. [=a special dish that is featured in a 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.
▪ Would you like the house salad or a spinach salad? ▪ The house dressing is a creamy vinaigrette. — see also coffeehouse, steak house
▪ They had a full/packed house on opening night. ▪ When the movie ended, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. [=everyone had tears in their eyes] ◊To bring down the house or to bring the house down is to get great approval and applause or laughter from an audience.
▪ His performance brought down the house night after night.
▪ the House of Tudor
clean house
US 1 : to clean the floors, furniture, etc., inside a house
▪ He cleans house on Tuesdays. 2 : to make important basic changes in an organization, business, etc., in order to correct problems
▪ After the corruption was revealed, the police chief decided it was time to clean house.
▪ He cleans house on Tuesdays.
▪ After the corruption was revealed, the police chief decided it was time to clean house.
(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.
▪ Volunteers went from house to house asking for donations. — see also house-to-house
▪ Volunteers went from house to house asking for donations. — see also house-to-house
house in order
◊To put/get/set (etc.) your house in order is to improve or correct the way you do things.
▪ We should get our (own) house in order before we criticize others for their mistakes. ▪ The company needs to get its financial house in order. [=to correct its financial problems]
▪ We should get our (own) house in order before we criticize others for their mistakes. ▪ The company needs to get its financial house in order. [=to correct its financial problems]
keep house
: to do the work that is needed to take care of a house
▪ When I started living on my own I had no idea how to cook or keep house. ▪ You need someone to keep house for you. — see also housekeeper, housekeeping
▪ When I started living on my own I had no idea how to cook or keep house. ▪ You need someone to keep house for you. — see also housekeeper, housekeeping
like a house on fire
informal : extremely well
▪ Those two got on/along like a house on fire. [=they liked each other very much] ▪ (US) The business started out like a house on fire. [=the business started very successfully]
▪ Those two got on/along like a house on fire. [=they liked each other very much] ▪ (US) The business started out like a house on fire. [=the business started very successfully]
on the house
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones — see 1glass
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.
▪ She always loved playing house with her little sister.
▪ She always loved playing house with her little sister.
set up house
: to become settled in a house where you are going to live
▪ They moved to California and set up house in a suburb of Los Angeles.
▪ They moved to California and set up house in a suburb of Los Angeles.
— house·ful /ˈhaʊsˌfʊl/ noun, plural house·fuls [count]
▪ a houseful of guests
/ˈhaʊsˌfʊl/ noun, plural house·fuls [count] ▪ a houseful of guests
