home
1 Americannoun
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a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
- Synonyms:
- domicile, habitation, dwelling, abode
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the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
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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
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the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
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the place or region where something is native or most common.
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any place of residence or refuge.
a heavenly home.
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a person's native place or own country.
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a principal base of operations or activities.
The new stadium will be the home of the local football team.
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(in games) the destination or goal.
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Baseball. home plate.
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Lacrosse. one of three attack positions nearest the opposing goal.
adjective
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of, relating to, or connected with one's home or country.
home cooking;
the rising home demand for gasoline.
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principal or main.
the corporation's home office.
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reaching the mark aimed at.
a home thrust.
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Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team.
The pitcher didn't lose a single home game all season.
adverb
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to, toward, or at home.
to go home.
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deep; to the heart.
The truth of the accusation struck home.
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to the mark or point aimed at.
He drove the point home.
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Nautical.
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into the position desired; perfectly or to the greatest possible extent.
We radioed instructions to the crew, and the huge sails were sheeted home.
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in the proper, stowed position.
The anchor is home.
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toward its vessel.
to bring the anchor home.
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verb (used without object)
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to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes (often followed byon ).
This clever defensive technology prevented torpedoes from homing on the U-boat.
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to go or return home.
Bees have the ability to learn visual landmarks and use them when foraging and homing.
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to have a home where specified; reside.
God now homes in the hearts of His people.
verb (used with object)
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to provide with a home.
After being microchipped and fully vaccinated, the puppy was homed with six weeks free insurance.
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Computers.
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to provide (a computer) with a network connection.
Each subscriber must be homed to a node in the network.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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to bring or send home.
verb phrase
idioms
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home and dry, having safely achieved one's goal.
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bring home to, to make evident to; clarify or emphasize for.
The irrevocability of her decision was brought home to her.
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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.
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at home,
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in one's own house or place of residence.
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in one's own town or country.
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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.
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in a situation familiar to one; at ease.
She has a way of making everyone feel at home.
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to be at home in the classics.
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played in one's hometown or on one's own grounds.
The Yankees played two games at home and one away.
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home free,
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assured of finishing, accomplishing, succeeding, etc..
If we can finish more than half the work today, we'll be home free.
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certain to be successfully finished, accomplished, secured, etc..
With most of the voters supporting it, the new law is home free.
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noun
noun
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the place or a place where one lives
have you no home to go to?
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a house or other dwelling
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a family or other group living in a house or other place
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a person's country, city, etc, esp viewed as a birthplace, a residence during one's early years, or a place dear to one
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the environment or habitat of a person or animal
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the place where something is invented, founded, or developed
the US is the home of baseball
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a building or organization set up to care for orphans, the aged, etc
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an informal name for a mental home
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sport one's own ground
the match is at home
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the objective towards which a player strives in certain sports
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an area where a player is safe from attack
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lacrosse
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one of two positions of play nearest the opponents' goal
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a player assigned to such a position
inside home
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baseball another name for home plate
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informal Britain, esp England
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a place other than one's own home where one can be at ease
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in one's own home or country
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at ease, as if at one's own home
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giving an informal party at one's own home
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such a party
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familiar or conversant with
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Austral. and NZ equivalent: home and hosed. informal definitely safe or successful
we will not be home and dry until the votes have been counted
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concerning one deeply
adjective
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of, relating to, or involving one's home, country, etc; domestic
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(of an activity) done in one's house
home taping
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effective or deadly
a home thrust
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sport relating to one's own ground
a home game
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central; principal
the company's home office
adverb
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to or at home
I'll be home tomorrow
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to or on the point
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to the fullest extent
hammer the nail home
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(of nautical gear) into or in the best or proper position
the boom is home
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to make clear to
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to place the blame on
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nautical (of an anchor) to fail to hold
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to become absolutely clear to
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informal to be of no particular interest
the film was nothing to write home about
verb
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(intr) (of birds and other animals) to return home accurately from a distance
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to direct or be directed onto a point or target, esp by automatic navigational aids
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to send or go home
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to furnish with or have a home
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(intr; often foll by in or in on) to be directed towards a goal, target, etc
noun
Usage
See hone in ( def. ).
Related Words
See house.
Other Word Forms
- homelike adjective
- minihome noun
Etymology
Origin of home
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
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.
Spur built a quick-test page that looks at your home network’s IP address—the internet’s version of a phone number.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Bagpuss, The Clangers and many more children's shows were created by Firmin's father and Oliver Postgate in their studio in Canterbury, and The Beaney is home to a gallery that celebrates their work.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Bauer is expected to start when the team opens the season at home April 21 against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
She’s bullish on home builders Toll Brothers and D.R.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
I wasn’t planning on coming today, but when I saw that his truck was gone, I came here instead of going home after I was finished at the pool.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
