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housing

1 American  
[hou-zing] / ˈhaʊ zɪŋ /

noun

  1. any shelter, lodging, or dwelling place.

  2. houses collectively.

  3. the act of one who houses or puts under shelter.

  4. the providing of houses for a group or community.

    the housing of an influx of laborers.

  5. anything that covers or protects.

    Synonyms:
    sheath, shield, casing, covering
  6. Machinery. a fully enclosed case and support for a mechanism.

  7. Carpentry. the space made in one piece of wood, or the like, for the insertion of another.

  8. Nautical.

    1. Also called bury.  the portion of a mast below the deck.

    2. Also called bury.  the portion of a bowsprit aft of the forward part of the stem of a vessel.

    3. the doubling of an upper mast.

  9. a niche for a statue.


housing 2 American  
[hou-zing] / ˈhaʊ zɪŋ /

noun

  1. a covering of cloth for the back and flanks of a horse or other animal, for protection or ornament.

  2. housings, the trappings on a horse.


housing 1 British  
/ ˈhaʊzɪŋ /

noun

    1. houses or dwellings collectively

    2. ( as modifier )

      a housing problem

  1. the act of providing with accommodation

  2. a hole, recess, groove, or slot made in one wooden member to receive another

  3. a part designed to shelter, cover, contain, or support a component, such as a bearing, or a mechanism, such as a pump or wheel

    a bearing housing

    a motor housing

    a wheel housing

  4. another word for houseline

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

housing 2 British  
/ ˈhaʊzɪŋ /

noun

  1. archaic (often plural) another word for trappings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of housing1

First recorded in 1350–1400; house + -ing 1 ( def. )

Origin of housing2

First recorded in 1690–1700; compare earlier house, Middle English hous(e), houc(e) in same sense, from Old French houce, from unrecorded Germanic hulfti- (compare Medieval Latin hultia ), akin to Middle Dutch hulfte “cover for bow and arrow,” Middle High German hulft “covering”; -ing 1 added by association with house, housing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The impact of higher energy and borrowing costs would be to make it harder to afford to buy a house, Nationwide said, reducing activity in the housing market.

From BBC

A loss of investor confidence in Treasurys could cause interest rates to rise sharply, hitting housing, business investment, and stock markets, and potentially causing a recession.

From The Wall Street Journal

If smaller agents cannot afford these sorts of fees, Zotimova said that would have knock-on effects for the housing market.

From BBC

"Everyone understands what women really want: social guarantees, an adequate income, the ability to afford housing, and, most importantly, tranquillity and security," she said.

From Barron's

The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, will gather information on housing conditions, amenities and household assets.

From BBC