3. Hospitality; a liberal and hospitable table; a supply of provisions. [Obs.]
Tell me, softly and hastily, what's in the pantry?
Small housekeeping enough, said Phœbe.
Sir W. Scott. Housekeeping
(House"keep`ing), a. Domestic; used in a family; as, housekeeping commodities.
Housel
(Hou"sel) n. [OE. housel, husel, AS. husel; akin to Icel. husl, Goth. hunsl a sacrifice.] The
eucharist. [Archaic] Rom. of R. Tennyson.
Housel
(Hou"sel), v. t. [AS. huslian.] To administer the eucharist to. [Archaic] Chaucer.
Houseleek
(House"leek`) n. [House + leek.] (Bot.) A succulent plant of the genus Sempervivum
originally a native of subalpine Europe, but now found very generally on old walls and roofs. It is very
tenacious of life under drought and heat; — called also ayegreen.
Houseless
(House"less), a. Destitute of the shelter of a house; shelterless; homeless; as, a houseless
wanderer.
Houselessness
(House"less*ness), n. The state of being houseless.
Houseline
(House"line`) n. (Naut.) A small line of three strands used for seizing; — called also housing.
Totten.
Houseling
(House"ling`) a. Same as Housling.
Housemaid
(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.
Housemate
(House"mate`) n. One who dwells in the same house with another. R. Browning.
Houseroom
(House"room`) n. Room or place in a house; as, to give any one houseroom.
Housewarming
(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.
Housewife
(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.
Housewife
(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.
