poorhouse

[ poo r-hous ]

/ ˈpʊərˌhaʊs /

noun, plural poor·hous·es [poo r-hou-ziz] /ˈpʊərˌhaʊ zɪz/.

(formerly) an institution in which paupers were maintained at public expense.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of poorhouse

First recorded in 1735–45; poor + house

Words nearby poorhouse

poor white trash, poor-do, poor-mouth, poor-spirited, poor-will, poorhouse, poori, poorish, poorly, poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, poort

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for poorhouse

He doesn't mean very much to me—just enough so that I don't relish his going to the poorhouse, that's all.'
The Story Of Waitstill Baxter|By Kate Douglas Wiggin
She could not treat him like a common tenant of the poorhouse, and he was sure she would keep his secret.
Little Tora, The Swedish Schoolmistress and Other Stories|Mrs. Woods Baker
Weary old-age from Pennygreen poorhouse taking its pleasure of cakes and ale half suspiciously in the broad sunshine.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady|Lucas Malet
Following a secret plan, she adopted a boy from the poorhouse, and brought him up with every advantage that money could buy.
The Promised Land|Mary Antin

It has charge of the county property, including the court-house, jail, and poorhouse.
Our Government: Local, State, and National: Idaho Edition|J.A. James

British Dictionary definitions for poorhouse

poorhouse

/ (ˈpʊəˌhaʊs, ˈpɔː-) /

noun

(formerly) a publicly maintained institution offering accommodation to the poor

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