housing

¹ American  

[hou-zing] / ˈhaʊ zɪŋ /

noun

1. any shelter, lodging, or dwelling place.

2. houses collectively.

3. the act of one who houses or puts under shelter.

4. the providing of houses for a group or community.

   the housing of an influx of laborers.

5. anything that covers or protects.

   Synonyms:

   sheath, shield, casing, covering

6. Machinery. a fully enclosed case and support for a mechanism.

7. Carpentry. the space made in one piece of wood, or the like, for the insertion of another.

8. Nautical.

   1. Also called bury.  the portion of a mast below the deck.

   2. Also called bury.  the portion of a bowsprit aft of the forward part of the stem of a vessel.

   3. the doubling of an upper mast.

9. a niche for a statue.

---

housing ² American  

[hou-zing] / ˈhaʊ zɪŋ /

noun

1. a covering of cloth for the back and flanks of a horse or other animal, for protection or ornament.

2. housings, the trappings on a horse.

---

housing ¹ British  

/ ˈhaʊzɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. houses or dwellings collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a housing problem

2. the act of providing with accommodation

3. a hole, recess, groove, or slot made in one wooden member to receive another

4. a part designed to shelter, cover, contain, or support a component, such as a bearing, or a mechanism, such as a pump or wheel

   a bearing housing

   a motor housing

   a wheel housing

5. another word for houseline

---

housing ² British  

/ ˈhaʊzɪŋ /

noun

1. archaic (often plural) another word for trappings

---

Etymology

Origin of housing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; house + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Origin of housing²

First recorded in 1690–1700; compare earlier house, Middle English hous(e), houc(e) in same sense, from Old French houce, from unrecorded Germanic hulfti- (compare Medieval Latin hultia ), akin to Middle Dutch hulfte “cover for bow and arrow,” Middle High German hulft “covering”; -ing ¹ added by association with house, housing ¹

Example Sentences

She lives close to buildings housing security institutions, including a complex for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful military and economic force that cracked down on the protests and is largely fighting the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The rule was part of legislation designed to strengthen measures trying to tackle an affordable housing shortage in parts of Wales popular with tourists and second home owners.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Plus, as you say, the housing market is extremely competitive, especially for first-time buyers who need space for children, as is the case with your son and his wife.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

“We can no longer keep our city together with duct tape and slurry,” said Rae Huang, a leftist community organizer, at a recent candidate forum on housing and transportation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

They could be tossed out of public housing due to no fault of their own.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander