hearth

American  

[hahrth] / hɑrθ /

noun

1. the floor of a fireplace, usually of stone, brick, etc., often extending a short distance into a room.

2. home; fireside.

   the joys of family and hearth.

   Synonyms:

   house, abode, household

3. Metallurgy.

   1. the lower part of a blast furnace, cupola, etc., in which the molten metal collects and from which it is tapped out.

   2. the part of an open hearth, reverberatory furnace, etc., upon which the charge is placed and melted down or refined.

4. a brazier or chafing dish for burning charcoal.

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hearth British  

/ hɑːθ /

noun

1. 1. the floor of a fireplace, esp one that extends outwards into the room

   2. ( as modifier )

      hearth rug

2. this part of a fireplace as a symbol of the home, etc

3. the bottom part of a metallurgical furnace in which the molten metal is produced or contained

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Other Word Forms

• hearthless adjective
• multihearth noun

Etymology

Origin of hearth

First recorded before 900; Middle English herth(e), Old English he(o)rth; cognate with German Herd, Dutch haard

Example Sentences

Almost 200 years later, the electronic hearth offers plenty of chilling tales with which one can continue the tradition and honor the rattling chain of Jacob Marley’s ghost.

From Los Angeles Times

“A Child’s Christmas in Wales” aptly reflects the way that holiday images randomly flare up and recede within the bright hearth of recollection, memories made mutable by the passage of time.

From The Wall Street Journal

Television has long been referred to as the electronic hearth, but the yule log’s ubiquity in the streaming era shifts that notion into oddly literal territory.

From Salon

But these small solaces, this idea of a table carefully tended, of a little beauty or attention to hearth and home, take on more power in these uncertain times.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sunny apartment was now cozily dark and lit by the hearth fire Pater Lumley carefully built and tended.

From Literature

Related Words

• fireplace