POORHOUSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does poorhouse mean? 

• POORHOUSE (noun)
  The noun POORHOUSE has 1 sense:

1. an establishment maintained at public expense in order to provide housing for the poor and homeless

  Familiarity information: POORHOUSE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POORHOUSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An establishment maintained at public expense in order to provide housing for the poor and homeless

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("poorhouse" is a kind of...):

establishment (a public or private structure (business or governmental or educational) including buildings and equipment for business or residence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "poorhouse"):

workhouse (a poorhouse where able-bodied poor are compelled to labor)

 Context examples 

One forlorn fragment of dollanity had belonged to Jo and, having led a tempestuous life, was left a wreck in the rag bag, from which dreary poorhouse it was rescued by Beth and taken to her refuge.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Bessie answered not; but ere long, addressing me, she said—You ought to be aware, Miss, that you are under obligations to Mrs. Reed: she keeps you: if she were to turn you off, you would have to go to the poorhouse.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)