hearthrugn.
/ˈhɑːθrʌɡ/, U.S. /ˈhɑrθˌrəɡ/ A rug designed to be laid in front of a fireplace, esp. to protect a carpet or floor.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > floor-covering > [noun] > rug > types of, generally
shag1634
hearthrug1790
buffalo-robe1804
hooked rug1880
area rug1941
hook rug1951
1790 Edinb. Advertiser 5 Jan. 14/3 (advt.) A great variety of household furniture of all kinds, consisting of Mahogany Beds,..Carpets, Hearthrugs, Looking-Glasses,..all in the newest taste, and handsomely finished.
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well I. viii. 180 A setter is..fitter for his place on the hearth-rug, than a pointer.
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. I. 234 A bright red, blue and yellow hearth-rug.
1869 A. Trollope He knew he was Right I. i. 8 He would sometimes come in and eat his biscuit standing on the hearth-rug.
1924 A. MacLeish Let. 31 May (1983) 134 After dinner I am made to sit on the hearth rug & expound Joyce to my own disgust.
1997 A. Taylor Lover of Grave (2003) vii. iv. 205 The fire had burned low and Jill knelt on the hearthrug to add more coals.
Compounds
C1. General attributive in sense ‘fireside, domestic’, as hearthrug animal, hearthrug comfort, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > dwelling place or abode > [adjective] > of or belonging to home
homelyc1384
householdc1384
meniala1387
hamald?a1400
domestical1459
home1552
householdly1557
homish1561
housal1611
domestica1616
domal1728
fireside1740
householdy1863
hearthrug1864
1864 E. Cook New Echoes 137 They are beautiful eyes when they look askance, From your favourite hearth-rug place.
1901 Daily Chron. 31 July 7/2 Turning the hearthrug favourite into the streets is certainly better than shutting it up, slowly to starve in an unoccupied house.
1955 B. Sleigh Carbonel vii. 51 Now he was silent and sleeping like any hearth-rug animal.
2009 C. Kane Unscratchables 53 We were to be stripped of all our hearth-rug comforts and softpaw inclinations.
C2. Locative, as hearthrug-bred adj. rare.
ΚΠ
1902 Daily Chron. 2 Sept. 5/2 The sparrow is far too ‘fly’ a bird for the hearth~rug-bred cat.
C3. Similative, as hearthrug coat, hearthrug appearance, etc.
ΚΠ
1909 Westm. Gaz. 20 July 5/1 The inelegant, cumbrous, and shaggy hearth-rug coats.
1976 ‘A. B. Akers’ Armada of Antares ix. 81 The patient quoffas with their long faces and their hearth-rug appearance did not complain but sturdily hauled the creaking carts.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1790