hearth
Americannoun
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the floor of a fireplace, usually of stone, brick, etc., often extending a short distance into a room.
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home; fireside.
the joys of family and hearth.
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Metallurgy.
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the lower part of a blast furnace, cupola, etc., in which the molten metal collects and from which it is tapped out.
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the part of an open hearth, reverberatory furnace, etc., upon which the charge is placed and melted down or refined.
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a brazier or chafing dish for burning charcoal.
noun
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the floor of a fireplace, esp one that extends outwards into the room
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( as modifier )
hearth rug
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this part of a fireplace as a symbol of the home, etc
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the bottom part of a metallurgical furnace in which the molten metal is produced or contained
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The kit will talk users through the process with voice instructions as well as checking the person's hearth rhythm to determine whether a shock is needed.
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025
A fire snapped and crackled in the marble hearth.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
