home
a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
an institution for people who lack stable housing, who are sick or infirm, etc.: a nursing home;a home for those with dementia.
the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
the place or region where something is native or most common.
any place of residence or refuge: a heavenly home.
a person's native place or own country.
a principal base of operations or activities: The new stadium will be the home of the local football team.
(in games) the destination or goal.
Baseball. home plate.
Lacrosse. one of three attack positions nearest the opposing goal.
of, relating to, or connected with one's home or country: home cooking;the rising home demand for gasoline.
principal or main: the corporation's home office.
reaching the mark aimed at: a home thrust.
Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team: The pitcher didn't lose a single home game all season.: Compare away (def. 11).
to, toward, or at home: to go home.
deep; to the heart: The truth of the accusation struck home.
to the mark or point aimed at: He drove the point home.
Nautical.
into the position desired; perfectly or to the greatest possible extent: We radioed instructions to the crew, and the huge sails were sheeted home.
in the proper, stowed position:The anchor is home.
toward its vessel: to bring the anchor home.
to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes (often followed by on): This clever defensive technology prevented torpedoes from homing on the U-boat.
to go or return home: Bees have the ability to learn visual landmarks and use them when foraging and homing.
to have a home where specified; reside: God now homes in the hearts of His people.
to provide with a home: After being microchipped and fully vaccinated, the puppy was homed with six weeks free insurance.
Computers.
to provide (a computer) with a network connection: Each subscriber must be homed to a node in the network.
to prepare (a 3D printer) for use by setting the horizontal and vertical limits for positioning the extruder before a printing task: Do not try to do anything with your printer until you home it.
to provide a display or storage space for; house: Adding lighting to the unit creates a stunning wall feature to home all your treasured possessions. The library homes a wide variety of resources for the avid gardener.
to direct, especially under control of an automatic aiming device, toward an airport, target, etc.: The guidance system homed the missile on a target that was radar-illuminated by the launch aircraft.
to bring or send home.
home in (on),
(of guided missiles, aircraft, etc.) to proceed, especially under control of an automatic aiming mechanism, toward a specified target, as a plane, missile, or location: The bomb homed in on the bridge.
to direct one’s attention or energies toward: The committee quickly homed in on the relevant details.
Idioms about home
at home,
in one's own house or place of residence.
in one's own town or country.
prepared or willing to receive social visits: Tell him I'm not at home.We are always at home to her.
in a situation familiar to one; at ease: She has a way of making everyone feel at home.
well-informed; proficient: to be at home in the classics.
played in one's hometown or on one's own grounds: The Yankees played two games at home and one away.
bring home to, to make evident to; clarify or emphasize for: The irrevocability of her decision was brought home to her.
home and dry, British Informal. having safely achieved one's goal.
home free,
assured of finishing, accomplishing, succeeding, etc.: If we can finish more than half the work today, we'll be home free.
certain to be successfully finished, accomplished, secured, etc.: With most of the voters supporting it, the new law is home free.
write home about, to comment especially on; remark on (usually used in the negative): The town was nothing to write home about.His cooking is really something to write home about.
Origin of home
1synonym study For home
usage note For home
Other words for home
Other words from home
- min·i·home, noun
Words that may be confused with home
Other definitions for Home (2 of 2)
Lord. Douglas-Home.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use home in a sentence
It won’t bark or wag its tail when they come home, but its clay interior can be reheated an unlimited number of times.
The hottest gifts to buy for the friend who’s always cold | Sandra Gutierrez G. | November 20, 2020 | Popular-ScienceNow Locksley, while leading the team from home, will have to navigate a similar process once again.
Maryland football is ‘committed to getting back,’ but timeline for return is unclear | Emily Giambalvo | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostA billboard in Tuscaloosa paid for by UCF fans challenging Alabama to a home-and-home series didn’t make the Knights any more popular in Nick Saban country.
Cincinnati and BYU are making a case for the College Football Playoff. Is anyone listening? | John Feinstein | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostLocksley, who is isolating at home, first reported symptoms Monday evening.
Maryland, with 15 more players and its coach positive for coronavirus, cancels Michigan State game | Emily Giambalvo | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostIt has had to send much of its moderation workforce home, and says the majority of those workers are still working remotely.
Facebook says it labeled 180 million debunked posts ahead of the election | Rachel Lerman, Heather Kelly | November 19, 2020 | Washington Post
It was Rachel and Sarah who most savagely homed in on each other when they learned that Josh was hooking up with both of them.
The networks in general have homed in on writing staffs as a place to trim costs.
How she had come to it through the tortuous cuts and passes was a marvel of homing instinct––the heart that homed to its object.
Tharon of Lost Valley | Vingie E. RoeMrs. Townsend is herself a rarely gifted poet, long and deeply homed in the heart of New Orleans.
Old Times in Dixie Land | Caroline E. MerrickOh, well, possibly one was 'flown' by him to you, and it 'homed' without your knowledge.
Cleek, the Master Detective | Thomas W. HanshewBut then there was a cluster of minute sparks in the distance, as rockets, not launched by the defenders, homed and exploded.
The Planet Strappers | Raymond Zinke GallunHe watched Homed Toad; that was what he had to beat, he knew.
Bulldog Carney | W. A. Fraser
British Dictionary definitions for home (1 of 2)
/ (həʊm) /
the place or a place where one lives: have you no home to go to?
a house or other dwelling
a family or other group living in a house or other place
a person's country, city, etc, esp viewed as a birthplace, a residence during one's early years, or a place dear to one
the environment or habitat of a person or animal
the place where something is invented, founded, or developed: the US is the home of baseball
a building or organization set up to care for orphans, the aged, etc
an informal name for a mental home
sport one's own ground: the match is at home
the objective towards which a player strives in certain sports
an area where a player is safe from attack
lacrosse
one of two positions of play nearest the opponents' goal
a player assigned to such a position: inside home
baseball another name for home plate
NZ informal, obsolete Britain, esp England
a home from home a place other than one's own home where one can be at ease
at home
in one's own home or country
at ease, as if at one's own home
giving an informal party at one's own home
British such a party
at home in, at home on or at home with familiar or conversant with
home and dry British informal definitely safe or successful: we will not be home and dry until the votes have been counted Austral. and NZ equivalent: home and hosed
near home concerning one deeply
of, relating to, or involving one's home, country, etc; domestic
(of an activity) done in one's house: home taping
effective or deadly: a home thrust
sport relating to one's own ground: a home game
US central; principal: the company's home office
to or at home: I'll be home tomorrow
to or on the point
to the fullest extent: hammer the nail home
(of nautical gear) into or in the best or proper position: the boom is home
bring home to
to make clear to
to place the blame on
come home nautical (of an anchor) to fail to hold
come home to to become absolutely clear to
nothing to write home about informal to be of no particular interest: the film was nothing to write home about
(intr) (of birds and other animals) to return home accurately from a distance
(often foll by on or onto) to direct or be directed onto a point or target, esp by automatic navigational aids
to send or go home
to furnish with or have a home
(intr; often foll by in or in on) to be directed towards a goal, target, etc
Origin of home
1Derived forms of home
- homelike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Home (2 of 2)
/ (hjuːm) /
Baron See Home of the Hirsel
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with home
In addition to the idioms beginning with home
- home free
- home in on
- home run
- home truth
also see:
- at home
- bring home
- bring home the bacon
- chickens come home to roost
- close to home
Drive Homeeat someone out of house and homemake oneself at homenobody homenothing to write home abouttill the cows come home.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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