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house lights
was their finest hour quote a phrase from a speech by Winston Churchill describing the actions of the British PILOTS who fought in the Battle of Britain -> see also ELEVENTH HOUR, HAPPY HOUR, RUSH HOUR, SMALL HOURS, ZERO HOUR
hour·glass /'aʊəglɑːs||'aʊərglæs/ n a glass container for measuring time, which is narrow in the middle like a figure 8 so that the sand inside can run slowly from the top half to the bottom, taking exactly one hour: (fig.) She has an hour-glass figure. (=with a very narrow waist)
hour·ly /'aʊəli||'aʊərli/ adj, adv. 1 (happening, appearing etc) every hour or once an hour: an hourly inspection | hourly-paid workers 2 at any time soon (especially in the phrase expect someone hourly)
house¹ /haʊs/ n pl. houses /'haʊzɪz/ 1 a) a building for people to live in, often one that has more than one level (STOREY) and is intended for use by a single family: Do you live in a house or a flat? | (especially BrE) We're going to move house (=move to another house) next month. | a big rise in house prices b) the people in such a building: The whole house was woken up by the noise. 2 (usually in comb.) a building for animals or goods: the monkey house at the zoo | a hen house -> see also WAREHOUSE 3 (often cap. as part of a name) an important family, especially noble or royal: The House of Windsor is the British royal family. 4 BrE a) a building in which children live at some private BOARDING SCHOOLS, with its own name b) a division of a school, especially for sports competitions 5 a) a business firm, formerly often one controlled by a single family: These shops belong to the House of Fraser. | a publishing house | a software house (=producing computer SOFTWARE) b) (often in comb.) a usually large building used for a particular purpose or by a company or other organization: The union's headquarters is in Transport House. | a courthouse | a picture house 6 a) (often cap.) (the members of) a law-making body, especially when one of two: The President addressed both houses of Congress. | Will the Prime Minister please inform the House what she intends to do? -> see also LOWER HOUSE, UPPER HOUSE b) (cap.) the US House of Representatives: The Senate approved the bill, but the House voted against it. 7 [C usually sing.] the people voting after a DEBATE: The motion in the debate was 'This house does not support capital punishment.' 8 [C usually sing.] the people watching a performance in a theatre, concert hall etc; AUDIENCE: a full house | The play was taken off after playing to almost empty houses for two weeks. 9 (cap. in names in ASTROLOGY) a group of stars, with its usual name: the House of the Lion 10 (in certain phrases) a place where people meet for a particular purpose: a house of prostitution -> see also COFFEE HOUSE, FREE HOUSE, PUBLIC HOUSE 11 HOUSE MUSIC 12 bring the house down (of a performance or play) to cause great admiration, usually expressed loudly 13 get on like a house on fire to have a very friendly relationship, or start one very easily 14 keep house to manage a house, doing or controlling the cleaning, cooking, and similar jobs -> see also HOUSEKEEPER 15 on the house (usually of drinks) paid for by the people in charge, e.g. by the owner of a PUB, by a company etc 16 put/set one's house in order to arrange one's affairs so that they are in better order, either in business or by improving one's private behaviour 17 round the houses BrE from one person or place to another (especially when trying to get information): He was sent round the houses when he tried to find out about his insurance claim. -> see also HALFWAY HOUSE, SAFE HOUSE, TOWN HOUSE, eat someone out of house and home (EAT), keep open house (OPEN HOUSE)
1 A house is a building for people to live in and often has more than one level (storey). A cottage is a small, usually old house, especially in the country and in the US is usually used as a holiday home. A bungalow is a fairly modern house built on only one level. A set of rooms (including a kitchen and bathroom) within a larger building is called a flat in British English or an apartment or condominium in American English. An apartment is usually rented (RENT), and a condominium is usually owned by the person who lives there. A small one-room flat is a bedsit in British English. A large, grand house is called a mansion or (if it belongs to a king or queen) a palace. 2 Compare house and home. The place where you live is your home whatever type of house it is: After the party we went home to our flat. British speakers often consider that your home is the place where you belong and feel comfortable and is more than just a house: Our new house is beginning to look more like a real home. In American English home can also be used for the actual building: She has a beautiful home. | 'New Homes for Sale.'
house² adj [A] 1 used by or intended for people working in a particular firm or industry: a house magazine | Our house style is to use the spelling '-ization' rather than '-isation'. 2 (of wine) provided by a restaurant, especially to be drunk with meals: The house wine is usually cheaper.
house³ /haʊz/ v [T] 1 to provide with a place to live 2 to provide space for: This new building will house the Department of Chemistry.
'house ar·rest n under house arrest forbidden to leave one's house because the government believes one is dangerous
house·boat /'haʊsbəʊt/ n a boat with a covered place where one can sleep, cook, and wash. Houseboats are used for living in all the time or can be hired for short trips.
house·bound /'haʊsbaʊnd/ adj unable to move out of the house, or to spend much time outside it, usually because of illness
house·boy /'haʊsbɔɪ/ n now usually considered derog a boy or man who does general work in a house or hotel. Houseboys were employed by British people in Africa in COLONIAL times.
house·break·er /'haʊsˌbreɪkə/ n a BURGLAR (=thief) who enters a house by force, especially during the day -> compare BURGLAR
house·bro·ken /'haʊsˌbrəʊkən/ adj AmE for HOUSE-TRAINED
'house call n a visit that someone, especially a doctor, makes to a person in that person's home as part of their job
house·coat /'haʊs-kəʊt/ n a garment worn by women at home, especially when partly undressed just before or after their night's sleep
house·craft /'haʊs-krɑːft||-kræft/ n [U] especially BrE for DOMESTIC SCIENCE
house·fly /'haʊsflaɪ/ n the most common type of fly, which comes into the house especially in hot weather
house·ful /'haʊsfʊl/ n [S+of] an amount or number which is as much as a house can hold: a houseful of guests
house·hold¹ /'haʊshəʊld/ n [C+sing./pl. v] all the people living together in a house: The whole household was up early.
household² adj [A] concerned with the management of a house; DOMESTIC: household expenses | household chores
,Household 'Cavalry, the a group of British soldiers on horses who are responsible for guarding the Queen or King and the royal PALACE. The Household Cavalry consists of two REGIMENTS, the LIFE GUARDS and the BLUES AND ROYALS.
,household 'cleaner n [C;U] a chemical mixture suitable for cleaning various kinds of surface in a house
house·hold·er /'haʊsˌhəldə/ n a person who owns or is in charge of a house
,household 'name also ,household 'word n a person or thing that is very well known or talked about by almost everyone: After the tremendous success of her third novel, she became a household name.
'house ,husband n a husband who stays at home and cleans the house, cooks meals etc while his wife goes out to work; a male HOUSEWIFE
'house ,journal || also house organ AmE — n a magazine produced regularly by a company for its workers to inform them about the company's activities
house·keep·er /'haʊsˌkiːpə/ n a person who is responsible for housekeeping, especially one who is employed to do this -> see also HOUSE¹
house·keep·ing /'haʊsˌkiːpɪŋ/ n [U] 1 the management of a house, especially with regard to cleaning, cooking, buying food etc 2 also housekeeping mon·ey /'... ,../ — an amount of money set aside to pay for food and other things needed in the home 3 jobs that need to be done to keep a computer system working properly, such as making copies of FILES
'house lights n [P] the lights used in the part of a cinema or theatre where people sit