home
/həʊm
/noun
1The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household: the floods forced many people to flee their homes I was nineteen when I left home and went to college...
- The eye of Hurricane Charley passed directly over the Family Life Center, my home, and the homes of our staff members.
- In the Bantul district to the south, villagers told of trying to rescue family members before homes collapsed.
- This initiative is designed to help military families repair and maintain their homes while family members are on active duty.
Synonyms
place of residence, accommodation, property, a roof over one's head;
quarters, lodgings, rooms;
address, location, place
informal pad
British informal digs
formal residence, domicile, abode, dwelling, dwelling place, habitation
1.1The family or social unit occupying a permanent residence: he came from a good home...
- White, who came from a good home, managed to spend a fair amount of his life at a host of federal and state penitentiaries.
- Kimberley left the matrimonial home on August 1, 2000.
- The idea is that each visiting student is welcomed into the home as a member of the family.
1.2A house or flat considered as a commercial property: low-cost homes for first-time buyers [as modifier]: the growth in home ownership...
- Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday the Government was responsible for fuelling the price of homes to first time buyers.
- This will fund more than 730 affordable homes for rent or low-cost home ownership.
- The next planning application will be the latest in a long line of attempts to revive the site by introducing badly needed homes alongside commercial units.
Synonyms
house, flat, apartment, bungalow, cottage, terraced house, semi-detached house, detached house
informal semi
1.3The district or country where one was born or has settled on a long-term basis: they have made Provence their home...
- Maybe six months, or a year tops, but Paris could never be the home to me that Vancouver is.
- I've finally had all my mail re-directed and London is where I consider my home to be now.
- The latter he was to encounter in Toledo, the city that became his permanent home in 1577.
Synonyms
native land, homeland, home town, birthplace, roots, fatherland, motherland, mother country, country of origin, land of one's fathers, the old country
1.4A place where something flourishes, is most typically found, or from which it originates: Montana is home to a surprising number of rare mammals...
- The east Midlands, south-eastern England, and East Anglia were home to the most advanced arable farming in the British Isles.
- Los Angeles is the home of rock 'n roll.
- For instance, to complete the Slam, I had to win at St. Andrews, the home of golf.
Synonyms
domain, realm, place of origin, source, cradle, fount, fountainhead
natural habitat, natural environment, natural territory, habitat, home ground, stamping ground, haunt
1.5 informal A place where an object is kept.They will remain on show at the museum before finding a permanent home in the school later this year....
- Just press the button - I'll find a permanent home for it as soon as the store is open.
- A rare engine has arrived at the Steam museum where it will make its permanent home.
2An institution for people needing professional care or supervision: an old people’s home...
- Yorkshire Care Developments Ltd is taking the action in protest at what it claims are inadequate fees paid to homes for the care of elderly and vulnerable people.
- Four years ago, the former Queensland governor delivered a landmark report into the State's institutional homes.
- The first was a specialized adoption agency; the others were commercial maternity homes.
Synonyms
institution, residential home, nursing home, old people's home, retirement home, convalescent home, rest home, children's home;
hospice, shelter, refuge, retreat, asylum, hostel
3The finishing point in a race: he was four fences from home...
- After kicking 300m from home to beat Garcia in 7:40.97 seconds, Gebrselassie admitted the fast pace had been a challenge.
- Sir Rembrandt made a mistake at the fifth fence from home which proved costly to his challenge but he battled on to claim second spot.
- The leader gave way to Daliapour over three furlongs out as rider Johnny Murtagh drove for home for all he was worth.
3.1(In games) the place where a player is free from attack.Sides are chosen; each side must have a ‘home’ at the top and bottom of the ground where the children are playing.
3.2(In lacrosse) each of the three players stationed nearest their opponents' goal.First home, Janet Roberts, with her dynamic underarm flick, deserved more than the two she obtained.
3.3 Baseball short for home plate.Angels RF Tim Salmon had drifted off third base, anticipating a break for home....
- Santa rounded third and headed for home, as the shortstop finally came to his senses and threw a perfect peg to catcher Garcia.
3.4A match played or won by a team on their own ground.Here are 14 sample bets, set out on eight example coupons, for all types of bets including homes, aways, draws, correct scores, and double results.
adjective [attributive]
1Relating to the place where one lives: I don’t have your home address...
- Estate agents told the Saturday Dispatch most home buyers did not look properly through houses they intended to buy.
- Martin's funeral took place to his home parish at the weekend.
- The President pledges to work hard to ensure more home ownership.
1.1Made, done, or intended for use in the home: traditional home cooking a home computer...
- They can also access and work on their school files from home computers.
- During their visit his mother tried to fatten her up on good home cooking.
- In the next two to five years, you'll see the computer and your home television set merging.
Synonyms
home-made, home-grown, locally produced, family, local
1.2Relating to one’s own country: we need to stimulate demand within the UK home market...
- They fixed their policy in relation to that of the home market and home government.
- For it is always easier for true natives to experience the excitement of other cultures on their home turf.
- Citizenship of the Union was to be established and close co-operation on justice and home affairs was to be developed.
Synonyms
domestic, internal, local, national, interior, native
2(Of a sports fixture) played at the team’s own ground: their first home match of the season a home win...
- He made a huge impression and was adored by home fans because he was a local boy.
- Their square has been relaid so local experience of how the pitch plays will be a home advantage.
- On home ground Clane were the first to open the scoring with a well taken point.
2.1Relating to or denoting a sports team that is playing at its own ground: the home side home fans...
- Rather sportingly the home team took two men off the field to even up the numbers, not that it made much difference.
- Now you can have a bunch of guys on the visiting team who used to be on the home team.
- At the outset Silsden were put under pressure by the home side who were playing down the slope.
3North American Denoting the administrative centre of an organization: the company has moved its home office...
- Our CEO can work anywhere in the world and couldn't really tell you where his home office is.
adverb
1To or at the place where one lives: what time did he get home last night?...
- The defendant replied that he did not have the money on him and his wife would not be home until later that night.
- She left home on Saturday night dressed all in black and gave no indication where she was going or when she might return.
- My mom was home for the first time in weeks.
1.1To the end or conclusion of a race or something difficult: the favourite romped home six lengths clear...
- The application of blinkers worked a treat on this filly at Ayr last time when she romped home by eight lengths in a maiden race.
- Although the smart winner was far too good that day, Lisdante ran an honourable race to lead home the remainder.
- La Chunga runs away with the race to lead home a one-two for trainer Jeremy Noseda.
1.2To the intended or correct position: he slid the bolt home noisily...
- A pass by Sue Gilmour found Olympian Rhona Simpson in position to slot home the only goal of the first half.
- Paul Proctor stepped up to slide home the first of three penalties on the day.
- Midfielder Jess then turned in a cross to the near post for Ward to slide home his fourth goal of the season beyond Mart Poom.
verb [no object]
1(Of an animal) return by instinct to its territory after leaving it: a dozen geese homing to their summer nesting grounds...
- As the sun took a bow, chirping birds homed and went quiet.
- André Desrochers has shown in a relocation study of 200 forest songbirds that birds homed back less often and after greater delays in fragments as opposed to intact forests.
- So while the mother sharks are homing to the same nursing grounds, roving males ensure that the population remains genetically diverse.
1.1(Of a pigeon bred for long-distance racing) fly back to or arrive at its loft after being released at a distant point: pigeons who do not home will win no prizes...
- Originally from Europe, Northern Africa, and India, the Rock Pigeon was domesticated and raised for food and trained for homing.
- Making these pigeons anosmic had essentially no effect on either the pigeons' orientation or homing.
- Clearly, at least some pigeons make use of landmarks in their homing.
2 (home in on) Move or be aimed towards (a target or destination) with great accuracy: more than 100 missiles were launched, homing in on radar emissions...
- The pilots in the first attack used a radio station's mast near Pearl Harbour to home in on.
- As the game progresses the enemies move faster and will home in on you.
- The hook is then baited with a fillet of mackerel, to combine both movement and smell for the fish to home in on.
Synonyms
focus on, focus attention on, concentrate on, zero in on, centre on, fix on, aim at, highlight, spotlight, underline, pinpoint
informal zoom in on
2.1Focus attention on: a teaching style which homes in on what is of central importance for each pupil...
- While air-conditioning and alloy wheels are big after-sale sellers for any vehicle, it's the multi-purpose vehicle market which manufacturers are homing in on.
- The MP for Glasgow South West homes in on what really matters.
- The domestic simplicity of his last days may seem twee, but key chapters of the killer's disturbed life are homed in on with skill and insight.
3 [with object] Provide (an animal) with a home as a pet: each year thousands of cats which could have been homed are being needlessly put down...
- The main argument against Southport Zoo was the location, so surely the beautiful surroundings of the centre would be a more fitting environment for the animals to be homed.
- Donations received for animal adoptions were up by £2,600 to £6,380, partly due to more animals being homed, and partly due to the branch requesting a minimum donation now.
- The reptile, which looks like an alligator, will be kept at the Dangerous Wild Animal Rescue Facility in Great Wakering where more than 400 exotic animals are homed.
Usage
The traditional form for the verb sense ‘move accurately towards a target’ is home in on, not hone in on. More than a third of the total citations for this expression in the Oxford English Corpus are for hone in on, however, and in the US this form has become common even in mainstream writing. Nevertheless, hone in on is still regarded by many as incorrect.
Phrases
at home
bring something home to
close (or near) to home
come home
come home to someone
drive (or hammer or press or ram) something home
hit (or strike) home
home and dry
(a) home from (away from) home
home is where the heart is
home on the pig's back
home, James (and don't spare the horses)!
home sweet home
set up home
when ——'s at home
Derivatives
homelike
/ adjective ...- To ensure that the hospital would be comfortable and homelike, a terrace and healing garden were added to the design.
- Small, homelike cottages were considered ideal at many camps.
- He is also a leader in the natural-birth movement, having introduced homelike birthing rooms and pools into French hospitals.
Origin
Old English hām, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heem and German Heim.
Home is an ancient word related to a Sanskrit term meaning ‘safe dwelling’. The Greek poet Hesiod, who lived around 700 bc, expressed the same sentiment as there's no place like home, although its best-known expression is in the sentimental song ‘Home Sweet Home’ by John Howard Payne, first sung in the opera Clari, the Maid of Milan in 1823: ‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, / Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.’ The saying home is where the heart is dates from the late 19th century. A woman's place is in the home dates from the 19th century.