home

¹

[ hohm ]

noun

1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.

   Synonyms: domicile, habitation, dwelling, abode

2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.

   Synonyms: fireside, hearth

3. an institution for people who lack stable housing, who are sick or infirm, etc.:

   a nursing home;

   a home for those with dementia.

   Synonyms: asylum

4. the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
5. the place or region where something is native or most common.
6. any place of residence or refuge:

   a heavenly home.

7. a person's native place or own country.
8. a principal base of operations or activities:

   The new stadium will be the home of the local football team.

9. (in games) the destination or goal.
10. Baseball. home plate.
11. Lacrosse. one of three attack positions nearest the opposing goal.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or connected with one's home or country:

   home cooking;

   the rising home demand for gasoline.

2. principal or main:

   the corporation's home office.

3. reaching the mark aimed at:

   a home thrust.

4. Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team: Compare away ( def 11 ).

   The pitcher didn't lose a single home game all season.

adverb

1. to, toward, or at home:

   to go home.

2. deep; to the heart:

   The truth of the accusation struck home.

3. to the mark or point aimed at:

   He drove the point home.

4. Nautical.
   1. into the position desired; perfectly or to the greatest possible extent:

      We radioed instructions to the crew, and the huge sails were sheeted home.

   2. in the proper, stowed position:

      The anchor is home.

   3. toward its vessel:

      to bring the anchor home.

verb (used without object)

, homed, hom·ing.

1. to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes (often followed by on ):

   This clever defensive technology prevented torpedoes from homing on the U-boat.

2. to go or return home:

   Bees have the ability to learn visual landmarks and use them when foraging and homing.

3. to have a home where specified; reside:

   God now homes in the hearts of His people.

verb (used with object)

, homed, hom·ing.

1. to provide with a home:

   After being microchipped and fully vaccinated, the puppy was homed with six weeks free insurance.

2. Computers.
   1. to provide (a computer) with a network connection:

      Each subscriber must be homed to a node in the network.

   2. to prepare (a 3D printer) for use by setting the horizontal and vertical limits for positioning the extruder before a printing task:

      Do not try to do anything with your printer until you home it.

3. to provide a display or storage space for; house: The library homes a wide variety of resources for the avid gardener.

   Adding lighting to the unit creates a stunning wall feature to home all your treasured possessions.

   The library homes a wide variety of resources for the avid gardener.

4. to direct, especially under control of an automatic aiming device, toward an airport, target, etc.:

   The guidance system homed the missile on a target that was radar-illuminated by the launch aircraft.

5. to bring or send home.

verb phrase

1. 1. (of guided missiles, aircraft, etc.) to proceed, especially under control of an automatic aiming mechanism, toward a specified target, as a plane, missile, or location:

      The bomb homed in on the bridge.

   2. to direct one’s attention or energies toward:

      The committee quickly homed in on the relevant details.

Home

²

[ hyoom ]

noun

1. Lord. Douglas-Home.

home

¹

/ həʊm /

noun

1. the place or a place where one lives

   have you no home to go to?

2. a house or other dwelling
3. a family or other group living in a house or other place
4. a person's country, city, etc, esp viewed as a birthplace, a residence during one's early years, or a place dear to one
5. the environment or habitat of a person or animal
6. the place where something is invented, founded, or developed

   the US is the home of baseball

7. 1. a building or organization set up to care for orphans, the aged, etc
   2. an informal name for a mental home
8. sport one's own ground

   the match is at home

9. 1. the objective towards which a player strives in certain sports
   2. an area where a player is safe from attack
10. lacrosse
    1. one of two positions of play nearest the opponents' goal
    2. a player assigned to such a position

       inside home

11. baseball another name for home plate
12. informal.
    Britain, esp England
13. a home from home
    a place other than one's own home where one can be at ease
14. at home
    1. in one's own home or country
    2. at ease, as if at one's own home
    3. giving an informal party at one's own home
    4. such a party
15. at home in or at home on or at home with
    familiar or conversant with
16. home and dry informal.
    definitely safe or successful Austral. and NZ equivalenthome and hosed

    we will not be home and dry until the votes have been counted

17. near home
    concerning one deeply

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving one's home, country, etc; domestic
2. (of an activity) done in one's house

   home taping

3. effective or deadly

   a home thrust

4. sport relating to one's own ground

   a home game

5. central; principal

   the company's home office

adverb

1. to or at home

   I'll be home tomorrow

2. to or on the point
3. to the fullest extent

   hammer the nail home

4. (of nautical gear) into or in the best or proper position

   the boom is home

5. bring home to
   1. to make clear to
   2. to place the blame on
6. come home
   nautical (of an anchor) to fail to hold
7. come home to
   to become absolutely clear to
8. nothing to write home about informal.
   to be of no particular interest

   the film was nothing to write home about

verb

1. intr (of birds and other animals) to return home accurately from a distance
2. often foll byon or onto to direct or be directed onto a point or target, esp by automatic navigational aids
3. to send or go home
4. to furnish with or have a home
5. intr; often foll by in or in on to be directed towards a goal, target, etc

Home

²

/ hjuːm /

noun

1. Baron
   HomeBaron See Home of the Hirsel

Usage Note

See hone in ( def ).

Derived Forms

• ˈhomeˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• min·i·home noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of home¹

First recorded before 900; noun and adverb; Middle English hom, Old English hām; cognate with Dutch heim, Old Norse heimr, Danish hjem, Swedish hem, German Heim “home,” Gothic haims “village”; akin to haunt

Word History and Origins

Origin of home¹

Old English hām; related to Old Norse heimr, Gothic haims, Old High German heim, Dutch heem, Greek kōmi village

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at home,
   1. in one's own house or place of residence.
   2. in one's own town or country.
   3. prepared or willing to receive social visits: We are always at home to her.

      Tell him I'm not at home.

      We are always at home to her.

   4. in a situation familiar to one; at ease:

      She has a way of making everyone feel at home.

   5. well-informed; proficient:

      to be at home in the classics.

   6. played in one's hometown or on one's own grounds:

      The Yankees played two games at home and one away.

2. bring home to, to make evident to; clarify or emphasize for:

   The irrevocability of her decision was brought home to her.

3. home and dry, British Informal. having safely achieved one's goal.
4. home free,
   1. assured of finishing, accomplishing, succeeding, etc.:

      If we can finish more than half the work today, we'll be home free.

   2. certain to be successfully finished, accomplished, secured, etc.:

      With most of the voters supporting it, the new law is home free.

5. write home about, to comment especially on; remark on (usually used in the negative):

   The town was nothing to write home about.

   His cooking is really something to write home about.

More idioms and phrases containing home

• at home
• bring home
• bring home the bacon
• chickens come home to roost
• close to home
• Drive Home
• eat someone out of house and home
• make oneself at home
• nobody home
• nothing to write home about
• till the cows come home

Synonym Study

See house.