Synonyms

full house

American

noun

Poker.

a hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair, as three queens and two tens.

full house British

noun

poker a hand with three cards of the same value and another pair
a theatre, etc, filled to capacity
(in bingo, etc) the set of numbers needed to win

"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 full house

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

She was similarly in control of set two in front of a full house at John Cain Arena, but blinked when serving for the match at 5-4 and was broken.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

How can she communicate her truth to a full house while still embodying the character they’ve come to the theater expecting to see?

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

Dubois has looked at home in fight week, smiling and taking everything in his stride - but can he "seize the moment" in front of a full house at Wembley on Saturday?

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2025

Had George Furbank been fit, Saints would surely be only one slot away from a full house.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2025

“Do you have any other hidden talents you aren’t telling us about? Can you build a stage using your bare hands? Manufacture a full house out of thin air?”

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

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