-
1[countable] a building for people to live in, usually for one family He went into the house. a two-bedroom house Let's have the party at my house. house prices What time do you leave the house in the morning (= to go to work)? We went on a tour of the house and grounds (= for example, at a country house, open to the public). see penthouse, safe house Topic CollocationsDecorating and Home Improvementhouses
- refurbish/renovate a building/a house
- convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/ apartments/condominiums/condos
- extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
- build an addition (on/to something)/a sunroom/a deck
- knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
- knock out/down the wall separating two rooms
- furnish/paint/repaint a home/house/apartment/room
- be decorated in bright colors/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
- paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
- hang/put up/strip off/remove (the) wallpaper
- install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures
- build/put up shelves
- lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio floor
- put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
- do carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring (yourself)
- make home improvements
- add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
- install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
- insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/the attic
- fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking faucet
- block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink/drain
- make/drill/fill a hole
- hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
- tighten/loosen/remove a screw
- saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
- 2[singular] all the people living in a house synonym household Be quiet or you'll wake the whole house!
- 3[countable] (in compounds) a building used for a particular purpose, for example for holding meetings in or keeping animals or goods in an opera house a henhouse see doghouse, halfway house, hothouse, lighthouse, madhouse, outhouse, storehouse, warehouse company/institution
- 4[countable] (in compounds) a company involved in a particular kind of business; an institution of a particular kind a fashion/banking/publishing, etc. house a religious house (= a convent or a monastery) I work in house (= in the offices of the company that I work for, not at home) see clearing house, in-house restaurant
- 5[countable] (in compounds) a restaurant a steakhouse a coffee house a bottle of house wine (= the cheapest wine available in a particular restaurant, sometimes not listed by name) see roadhouse parliament
- 6[countable] House a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country Legislation requires approval by both houses of Congress. see lower house, upper house
- 7the House [singular] the House of Representatives
- 8[countable] the part of a theater where the audience sits; the audience at a particular performance playing to a full/packed/empty house (= to a large/small audience) The spotlight faded and the house lights came up. see full house family
- 9[countable] the House of… an old and famous family the House of Windsor (= the British royal family) music
- 10[uncountable] = house music see acid house, art-house, powerhouse There are many other compounds ending in house. You will find them at their place in the alphabet. Topic CollocationsHouses and Apartmentsrenting
- live in a rental property
- rent/share/move into a furnished house/an apartment
- rent a studio/a studio apartment
- find/get a housemate/a roommate
- sign/break/default on a lease/rental agreement/contract
- extend/renew/terminate the lease
- afford/pay the rent/the bills/the utilities
- fall behind on the rent
- pay/lose/return a security/key deposit
- give/receive a month's/two-weeks' notice to leave/vacate the property
- have an apartment/a room/a house for rent
- rent (out)/lease (out)/sublet an apartment/a house/a property
- collect/increase/raise the rent
- evict the existing tenants
- attract/find new/prospective tenants
- invest in rental property
- buy/acquire/purchase a house/(a) property/(a piece of) prime real estate
- call/contact/use a real estate agent/broker
- put in/make an offer on a house
- make/save for a down payment on a house/home
- apply for/be approved for/take out a mortgage/home loan
- (struggle to) pay the mortgage
- make/meet/keep up/cover the monthly mortgage payments
- foreclose on somebody's home/house
- put your house/property on the market/up for sale/up for auction
- increase/lower your price/the asking price
- have/hold/hand over the deed to the house, land, etc.
- 1to remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted The new manager said he wanted to clean house.
- 2to make your house clean
building
to make everyone laugh or cheer, especially at a performance in the theater
to eat a lot of someone else's food How much longer is he staying? He's eating us out of house and home.
(of people) to become friends quickly and have a very friendly relationship
to cook, clean, and do all the other jobs around the house
a woman who is in charge of a household The salesman asked if the lady of the house was at home.
drinks or meals that are on the house are provided free by the bar or restaurant and you do not have to pay Have a drink on the house.
you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you
to organize your own business or improve your own behavior before you try to criticize someone else
to make a place your home They set up house together in a small apartment in Brooklyn.
Check pronunciation: house