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poorhouse

American

[poor-hous] / ˈpʊərˌhaʊs /

noun

(formerly) an institution in which paupers were maintained at public expense.

poorhouse British

/ ˈpɔː-, ˈpʊəˌhaʊs /

noun

(formerly) a publicly maintained institution offering accommodation to the poor

"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 poorhouse

First recorded in 1735–45; poor + house

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.

Written by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen, the well-paced story briskly takes Kahlen from the poorhouse to the royal palace minutes after opening, establishing the reach of his ambition.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

When Marla Carter visits her mother-in-law at a nursing home in Owensboro, Kentucky, the scene feels more 19th-century poorhouse than modern-day America.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2023

Elon Musk is not heading to the poorhouse if this thing doesn’t work out.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2022

When it comes to the lives of the people whose homes he supervises, Carson bears more than a superficial resemblance to a Dickensian poorhouse supervisor.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2018

“This will bring a pretty penny,” they said at the poorhouse.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023