hearth

American  

[hahrth] / hɑrθ /

noun

hearths plural

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

Derived Forms

• multihearth
  noun
• hearthless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hearths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hearth

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

Explanation

If you are warming yourself by the fireplace, you are sitting by the hearth. The noun hearth refers to a fireplace and the area around it. Hearth refers specifically to the paved floor of a fireplace, which may extend out into a room. Hearths are associated with home and family because the hearth was historically the main source of heat in the home, as well as where the cooking was done. As a result, family members often gathered together around the hearth. The importance of the hearth has made it symbolic of the home, as in the phrase "hearth and home."

Example Sentences

Radiocarbon dating places the hearth from the second layer at roughly 3,000 years old.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Stars who might normally be teammates instead pick up the jerseys of rival nations, competing against one another for love of home and hearth on the world’s grandest sporting stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

“Just as families gathered around the hearth in the 19th century, they now gathered around the radio,” says Robert C. Allen, distinguished professor emeritus of American studies at the University of North Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

From repeatedly whacking steel with a heavy hammer to sitting sweat-drenched by a hearth for hours, the daily grind of blademaking is also not for the faint-hearted.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

There were quilts and dishes and the big empty kettle in the hearth.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• fireplace