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homework

American  
[hohm-wurk] / ˈhoʊmˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork ).

  2. a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.

  3. paid work done at home, as piecework.

  4. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

    to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.
homework British  
/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. school work done out of lessons, esp at home

  2. any preparatory study

  3. work done at home for pay

"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
homework Idioms  

  1. see do one's homework.

Etymology

Origin of homework

First recorded in 1675–85; home + work

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.

She’s got main-character energy throughout the series, as a football thrower for Elroy, a homework helper for Judy and a dinner sous-chef for Jane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Now when he does his homework like he did this spring, stationing himself in front of a pitching machine, calling out balls and strikes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

At the end of a high-school day, she would travel an hour to the riding stable, practise from 8pm to 10pm, return home, do her homework, grab some sleep and start again.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

That kind of homework matters, says Joseph Yoon, a consumer-insights analyst at Edmunds.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

After the call with Mom, I try to get ahead on my homework.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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.