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home definition

home (hōm)

noun

  1. the place where a person (or family) lives; one's dwelling place; specif.,
    1. the house, apartment, etc. where one lives or is living temporarily; living quarters
    2. the region, city, state, etc. where one lives
  2. the place where one was born or reared; one's own city, state, or country
  3. a place thought of as home; specif.,
    1. a place where one likes to be; restful or congenial place
    2. the grave
  4. the members of a family as a unit; a household and its affairs homes broken up by divorce
  5. an institution for the care of orphans, people who are old and helpless, etc.
    1. the place that is the natural environment of an animal, plant, etc.
    2. the place where something is or has been originated, developed, etc. Paris is the home of fashion
    1. in many games, the base or goal
    2. ☆ the home plate in baseball

Etymology: ME < OE hām, akin to Ger heim < Gmc *haim < IE base *kei-, to lie, homestead > hide, Gr keisthai, to lie down, rest, L civis, townsman, ON heimr, home, Goth haima, OHG heim: basic sense “place where one lies; dwelling”

adjective

  1. of home or a home; specif.,
    1. of the family, household, etc.; domestic
    2. of one's country, government, etc.; domestic
    3. of or at the center of activity or operations home office
  2. reaching its goal; effective; forceful; to the point a home truth
    1. designating or having to do with games played in the city, at the school, etc. where the team originates a team's home field
    2. designating or of the team playing in its own city or at its own school or facility white home uniforms
  3. of or for use in the home

adverb

  1. at, to, or in the direction of home or a home
  2. to the place where it must ultimately go; to the point aimed at to drive a nail home
  3. to the center or heart of a matter; closely; directly; deeply

Etymology: orig. the n. as acc. of direction

intransitive verb homed, homing hom′·ing

  1. to go or return to one's home
  2. to have a home

transitive verb

to send to, put into, or provide with a home
home Idioms

at home

  1. in one's own house, neighborhood, city, or country
  2. as if in one's own home; comfortable; at ease; familiar
  3. willing to receive visitors

bring something home to

  1. to impress something upon or make something clear to
  2. to fasten the blame for something on (someone)

come home

to return, as to one's home

home free

Slang beyond the point of doubt in approaching success or victory

home (in) on

to guide, or be guided as by radar, heat, etc., to (a destination or target)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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the home of the Millers - wrong?156 years ago

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