Part 914

House"less*ness, n. The state of being houseless.

House"line` (?), n. (Naut.) A small line of three strands used for seizing; -- called also housing. Totten.

House"ling` (?), a. Same as Housling.

House"maid` (?), n. A female servant employed to do housework, esp. to take care of the rooms.

Housemaid's knee (Med.), a swelling over the knee, due to an enlargement of the bursa in the front of the kneepan; -- so called because frequently occurring in servant girls who work upon their knees.

House"mate` (?), n. One who dwells in the same house with another. R. Browning.

House"room` (?), n. Room or place in a house; as, to give any one houseroom.

House"warm`ing (?), n. A feast or merry-making made by or for a family or business firm on taking possession of a new house or premises. Johnson.

House"wife` (?), n. [House + wife. Cf. Hussy.] 1. The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household. Shak.

He a good husband, a good housewife she.

Dryden.

2. (Usually pronounced &?;.) [See Hussy, in this sense.] A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work; -- called also hussy. [Written also huswife.] P. Skelton.

3. A hussy. [R.] [Usually written huswife.] Shak.

Sailor's housewife, a ditty-bag.

{ House"wife` (?), House"wive` (?), } v. t. To manage with skill and economy, as a housewife or other female manager; to economize.

Conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they have well housewived.

Fuller.

House"wife`ly (?), a. Pertaining or appropriate to a housewife; domestic; economical; prudent.

A good sort of woman, ladylike and housewifely.

Sir W. Scott.

House"wif`er*y (?), n. The business of the mistress of a family; female management of domestic concerns.

House"work` (?), n. The work belonging to housekeeping; especially, kitchen work, sweeping, scrubbing, bed making, and the like.

House"wright` (?), n. A builder of houses.

Hous"ing (?), n. [From House. In some of its senses this word has been confused with the following word.] 1. The act of putting or receiving under shelter; the state of dwelling in a habitation.

2. That which shelters or covers; houses, taken collectively. Fabyan.

3. (Arch.) (a) The space taken out of one solid, to admit the insertion of part of another, as the end of one timber in the side of another. (b) A niche for a statue.

4. (Mach.) A frame or support for holding something in place, as journal boxes, etc.

5. (Naut.) (a) That portion of a mast or bowsprit which is beneath the deck or within the vessel. (b) A covering or protection, as an awning over the deck of a ship when laid up. (c) A houseline. See Houseline.