hearth

[ hahrth ]

/ hɑrθ /

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noun

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

home; fireside: the joys of family and hearth.

Metallurgy.

the lower part of a blast furnace, cupola, etc., in which the molten metal collects and from which it is tapped out.
the part of an open hearth, reverberatory furnace, etc., upon which the charge is placed and melted down or refined.

a brazier or chafing dish for burning charcoal.

Nearby words

Origin of hearth

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

SYNONYMS FOR hearth

2 household, abode, house.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hearth ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formshearth·less, adjectivemul·ti·hearth, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hearth

Frederico leads the others around the hearth as they gently wash their faces with cupfuls of warm liquid.
Bye Bye Latté, Hello Guayusa: Why The Amazon Holds the Secret to a Cleaner, Healthier Caffeine|Brandon Presser|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such Rambo-like defenses of home and hearth do not happen in real life, unless the home also happens to contain a meth lab.
Obama Needs a 'Plan B' on Guns|David Frum|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As far as I know, this experience was shared by everyone else around the McArdle hearth.
How Terrible Is Christmas?|Megan McArdle|December 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Or that a Starbucks beverage comes straight from the hearth?
Yes, Some of US Really Like Pumpkin|Megan McArdle|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I am love with the classics and Hearth is my hometown favorite.
Fresh Picks|Alex Guarnaschelli|September 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The sitting-room was in dusk, and, as she entered, the firelight showed the huge body of the general lying upon the hearth rug.
The Voice of the People|Ellen Glasgow
Poverty stood at his hearth,—when Viola's grateful smile and liberal hand came to chase the grim fiend away.
Zanoni|Edward Bulwer Lytton
As he approached the chimney-side, a huge wolfhound lying upon the hearth half rose upon its haunches.
The Red Tavern|Charles Raymond Macauley
A clear fire burned on the hearth, sending large sheets of light dancing on ceiling and walls.
Therese Raquin|Emile Zola
How such a viper came to warm itself on the bishop's hearth no one could say.
The Bishop's Secret|Fergus Hume

British Dictionary definitions for hearth

hearth

/ (hɑːθ) /

noun

the floor of a fireplace, esp one that extends outwards into the room
(as modifier)hearth rug

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

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

Word Origin for hearth

Old English heorth; related to Old High German herd hearth, Latin carbō charcoal

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

Word Origin and History for hearth

hearth

Old English heorð "hearth, fire," in transferred use "house, home," from West Germanic *hertho "burning place" (cf. Old Saxon and Old Frisian herth, Middle Dutch hert, Dutch haard, German Herd "floor, ground, fireplace"), from PIE *kerta-, from root *ker- "heat, fire" (see carbon).