Houses are built to live in; not to look on. Bacon.

Bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench
Are from their hives and houses driven away. Shak.

One that feared God with all his house. Acts x. 2.

The last remaining pillar of their house,
The one transmitter of their ancient name. Tennyson.

This mortal house I'll ruin,
Do Cæsar what he can. Shak.

* House is much used adjectively and as the first element of compounds. The sense is usually obvious; as, house cricket, housemaid, house painter, housework.

House ant (Zoöl.), a very small, yellowish brown ant (Myrmica molesta), which often infests houses, and sometimes becomes a great pest. -- House of bishops (Prot. Epis. Ch.), one of the two bodies composing a general convertion, the other being House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. -- House boat, a covered boat used as a dwelling. -- House of call, a place, usually a public house, where journeymen connected with a particular trade assemble when out of work, ready for the call of employers. [Eng.] Simonds. -- House car (Railroad), a freight car with inclosing sides and a roof; a box car. -- House of correction. See Correction. -- House cricket (Zoöl.), a European cricket (Gryllus domesticus), which frequently lives in houses, between the bricks of chimneys and fireplaces. It is noted for the loud chirping or stridulation of the males. -- House dog, a dog kept in or about a dwelling house. -- House finch (Zoöl.), the burion. -- House flag, a flag denoting the commercial house to which a merchant vessel belongs. -- House fly (Zoöl.), a common fly (esp. Musca domestica), which infests houses both in Europe and America. Its larva is a maggot which lives in decaying substances or excrement, about sink drains, etc. -- House of God, a temple or church. -- House of ill fame. See Ill fame under Ill, a. -- House martin (Zoöl.), a common European swallow (Hirundo urbica). It has feathered feet, and builds its nests of mud against the walls of buildings. Called also house swallow, and window martin. -- House mouse (Zoöl.), the common mouse (Mus musculus). -- House physician, the resident medical adviser of a hospital or other public institution. -- House snake (Zoöl.), the milk snake. -- House sparrow (Zoöl.), the common European sparrow (Passer domesticus). It has recently been introduced into America, where it has become very abundant, esp. in cities. Called also thatch sparrow. -- House spider (Zoöl.), any spider which habitually lives in houses. Among the most common species are Theridium tepidariorum and Tegenaria domestica. -- House surgeon, the resident surgeon of a hospital. -- House wren (Zoöl.), the common wren of the Eastern United States (Troglodytes aëdon). It is common about houses and in gardens, and is noted for its vivacity, and loud musical notes. See Wren. -- Religious house, a monastery or convent. -- The White House, the official residence of the President of the United States; -- hence, colloquially, the office of President. -- To bring down the house. See under Bring. -- To keep house, to maintain an independent domestic establishment. -- To keep open house, to entertain friends at all times.

Syn. -- Dwelling; residence; abode. See Tenement.

At length have housed me in a humble shed. Young.

House your choicest carnations, or rather set them under a penthouse. Evelyn.

Palladius wished him to house all the Helots. Sir P. Sidney.

You shall not house with me. Shak.