n. [ OE. hom, ham, AS. hām; akin to OS. hēm, D. & G. heim, Sw. hem, Dan. hiem, Icel. heimr abode, world, heima home, Goth. haims village, Lith. këmas, and perh. to Gr. kw`mh village, or to E. hind a peasant; cf. Skr. kshēma abode, place of rest, security, kshi to dwell. √20, 220. ] 1. One's own dwelling place; the house in which one lives; esp., the house in which one lives with his family; the habitual abode of one's family; also, one's birthplace. [ 1913 Webster ]

The disciples went away again to their own home. John xx. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

Home is the sacred refuge of our life. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Home! home! sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home. Payne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One's native land; the place or country in which one dwells; the place where one's ancestors dwell or dwelt. “Our old home [ England ].” Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections. [ 1913 Webster ]

He entered in his house -- his home no more,
For without hearts there is no home. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The locality where a thing is usually found, or was first found, or where it is naturally abundant; habitat; seat; as, the home of the pine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her eyes are homes of silent prayer. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Flandria, by plenty made the home of war. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A place of refuge and rest; an asylum; as, a home for outcasts; a home for the blind; hence, esp., the grave; the final rest; also, the native and eternal dwelling place of the soul. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. Eccl. xii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Baseball) The home base; as, he started for home. [ 1913 Webster ]

At home.(a) At one's own house, or lodgings. (b) In one's own town or country; as, peace abroad and at home. (c) Prepared to receive callers. --
Home department, the department of executive administration, by which the internal affairs of a country are managed. [ Eng. ]
To be at home on any subject, to be conversant or familiar with it. --
To feel at home, to be at one's ease. --
To make one's self at home, to conduct one's self with as much freedom as if at home.

Syn. -- Tenement; house; dwelling; abode; domicile. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to one's dwelling or country; domestic; not foreign; as home manufactures; home comforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Close; personal; pointed; as, a home thrust. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Games) In various games, the ultimate point aimed at in a progress; goal; as: (a) (Baseball) The plate at which the batter stands; same as home base and home plate. (b) (Lacrosse) The place of a player in front of an opponent's goal; also, the player. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Home base or
Home plate (Baseball), the base at which the batter stands when batting, and which is the last base to be reached in scoring a run. --
Home farm,
grounds, etc., the farm, grounds, etc., adjacent to the residence of the owner. --
Home lot, an inclosed plot on which the owner's home stands. [ U. S. ] --
Home rule, rule or government of an appendent or dependent country, as to all local and internal legislation, by means of a governing power vested in the people within the country itself, in contradistinction to a government established by the dominant country; as, home rule in Ireland. Also used adjectively; as, home-rule members of Parliament. --
Home ruler, one who favors or advocates home rule. --
Home stretch (Sport.), that part of a race course between the last curve and the winning post. --
Home thrust, a well directed or effective thrust; one that wounds in a vital part; hence, in controversy, a personal attack. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. To one's home or country; as in the phrases, go home, come home, carry home. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Close; closely. [ 1913 Webster ]

How home the charge reaches us, has been made out. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

They come home to men's business and bosoms. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To the place where it belongs; to the end of a course; to the full length; as, to drive a nail home; to ram a cartridge home. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wear thy good rapier bare and put it home. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Home is often used in the formation of compound words, many of which need no special definition; as, home-brewed, home-built, home-grown, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bring home. See under Bring. --
To come home.(a) To touch or affect personally. See under Come. (b) (Naut.) To drag toward the vessel, instead of holding firm, as the cable is shortened; -- said of an anchor. --
To haul home the sheets of a sail (Naut.), to haul the clews close to the sheave hole. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Homelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To return home. [ PJC ]

2. To proceed toward an object or location intended as a target; -- of missiles which can change course in flight under internal or external control; usually used with in on; as, the missile homed in on the radar site. [ PJC ]

3. [ fig. ] To arrive at or get closer to an object sought or an intended goal; used with in on; as, the repairman quickly homed in on the cause of the malfunction. [ PJC ]

n. a person who seldom goes anywhere; one not given to wandering or travel.
Syn. -- stay-at-home. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Native; indigenous; not foreign. Donne. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to the home or family. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fireside enjoyments, homeborn happiness. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Kept at home, usually due to illness; same as housebound.
Syn. -- housebound, shut-in. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Bred at home; domestic; not foreign. “ Home-bred mischief.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Benignity and home-bred sense. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not polished; rude; uncultivated. [ 1913 Webster ]

Only to me home-bred youths belong. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. someone who builds houses as a business.
Syn. -- housebuilder. [ WordNet 1.5 ]