at home

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

home /hoʊm/   n., adj., adv., v., homed, hom•ing. 
n. 

1. a house or apartment that is the usual place where one lives:
   [countable] bought a retirement home in Florida.
   [uncountable] He left home at six o'clock.
2. the place in which one's family life and affections are centered:
   [uncountable] thinking of home.
3. a person's own country:
   [uncountable] When we were in Uganda, we longed to hear the news from home.
4. the place or region where something comes from or is most common:
   [countable] Alaska is the home of Kodiak bears.
5. headquarters:
   [countable] The company's home is in Detroit.
6. an institution for people with special needs:
   [countable] a nursing home.
7. Sport [uncountable] home plate.

adj. [before a noun]

8. of, relating to, or done or made in one's home or country;
   domestic:
   home products.
9. principal:
   the corporation's home office.
10. Sport played in a team's own area:
    a home game.

adv. 

11. to, toward, or at home:
    I want to go home.
12. deep;
    to the heart:
    The truth struck home.
13. to the point aimed at:
    He drove the nail home.

v. 

14. Rocketry home in (on), [~ + in (on) + object] to go or move toward a specified target:
    The missile homed in on the target.

Idioms

15. Idioms at home:
    • in one's own house or place of residence:
      It was good to be at home again.
    • comfortable;
      at ease:
      Make yourself at home.
    • well-informed;
      knowledgeable about a subject:
      a scholar at home in the classics.
16. Idioms bring home, to make clearly evident: [ ~ + home + obj]:
    That defeat brought home to the team an awareness that they needed to practice.
    [ ~ + obj + home]:
    That defeat brought it home to me.
17. Idioms home free, in a position assured of success or out of danger or jeopardy:
    Once we're past the guards we'll be home free.

home•like, adj. 
Usage

Note that the word home usually does not take the preposition to:
I went home.
I started home.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

at-home  (at hōm′), n. 

1. Also, at home′. a reception of visitors at certain hours at one's home.

adj. 

2. done or used in the home;
   intended for one's home:
   a new line of at-home computers; at-home assignments for free-lance workers.

• 1740–45

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

home  (hōm), n., adj., adv., v., homed, hom•ing. 
n. 

1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. an institution for the homeless, sick, etc.:
   a nursing home.
4. the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
5. the place or region where something is native or most common.
6. any place of residence or refuge:
   a heavenly home.
7. a person's native place or own country.
8. (in games) the destination or goal.
9. a principal base of operations or activities:
   The new stadium will be the home of the local football team.
10. Sport [Baseball.] See home plate. 
11. Sport [Lacrosse.] one of three attack positions nearest the opposing goal.
12. Idioms at home:
    • in one's own house or place of residence.
    • in one's own town or country.
    • prepared or willing to receive social visits:
      Tell him I'm not at home. We are always at home to her.
    • in a situation familiar to one;
      at ease:
      She has a way of making everyone feel at home.
    • well-informed;
      proficient:
      to be at home in the classics.
    • played in one's hometown or on one's own grounds:
      The Yankees played two games at home and one away.

adj. 

13. of, pertaining to, or connected with one's home or country;
    domestic:
    home products.
14. principal or main:
    the corporation's home office.
15. reaching the mark aimed at:
    a home thrust.
16. Sport played in a ball park, arena, or the like, that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team:
    The pitcher didn't lose a single home game all season.
    Cf. away (def. 14).

adv. 

17. to, toward, or at home:
    to go home.
18. deep;
    to the heart:
    The truth of the accusation struck home.
19. to the mark or point aimed at:
    He drove the point home.
20. Nautical, Naval Terms
    • into the position desired;
      perfectly or to the greatest possible extent:
      sails sheeted home.
    • in the proper, stowed position:
      The anchor is home.
    • toward its vessel:
      to bring the anchor home.
21. Idioms bring home to, to make evident to;
    clarify or emphasize for:
    The irrevocability of her decision was brought home to her.
22. British Terms, Idioms home and dry, having safely achieved one's goal.
23. Idioms home free:
    • assured of finishing, accomplishing, succeeding, etc.:
      If we can finish more than half the work today, we'll be home free.
    • certain to be successfully finished, accomplished, secured, etc.:
      With most of the voters supporting it, the new law is home free.
24. Idioms write home about, to comment especially on;
    remark on:
    The town was nothing to write home about. His cooking is really something to write home about.

v.i. 

25. to go or return home.
26. Aeronautics (of guided missiles, aircraft, etc.) to proceed, esp. under control of an automatic aiming mechanism, toward a specified target, as a plane, missile, or location (often fol. by in on):
    The missile homed in on the target.
27. Aeronautics to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes.
28. to have a home where specified;
    reside.

v.t. 

29. to bring or send home.
30. to provide with a home.
31. Aeronautics to direct, esp. under control of an automatic aiming device, toward an airport, target, etc.

• bef. 900; Middle English hom, Old English hām (noun, nominal and adverb, adverbial); cognate with Dutch heim, Old Norse heimr, Danish hjem, Swedish hem, German Heim home, Gothic haims village; akin to haunt

Synonyms

• 1. abode, dwelling, habitation; domicile. See house. 
• 2. hearth, fireside.
• 3. asylum.

Home  (hyo̅o̅m), n. 

1. Biographical Lord. See Douglas-Home. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

at-home noun

1. another name for open day
2. a social gathering in a person's home

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

home / həʊm/ noun

1. the place, or a place, where one lives
2. a house or other dwelling
3. a family or other group living in a house or other place
4. a person's country, city, etc, esp viewed as a birthplace, a residence during one's early years, or a place dear to one
5. the environment or habitat of a person or animal
6. the place where something is invented, founded, or developed
7. a building or institution set up to care for vulnerable members of society
8. one's own ground: the match is at home
9. the objective towards which a player strives in certain sports
10. an area where a player is safe from attack
11. Britain, esp England
12. a home from home ⇒ a place other than one's own home where one can be at ease
13. at home ⇒ in one's own home or country
14. at ease, as if at one's own home
15. giving an informal party at one's own home
16. at home in, at home on, at home with ⇒ familiar or conversant with
17. home and dry ⇒ definitely safe or successful: we will not be home and dry until the votes have been counted
    Austral. and NZ equivalent: home and hosed
18. near home ⇒ concerning one deeply

adjective (usually prenominal)

1. of, relating to, or involving one's home, country, etc; domestic
2. (of an activity) done in one's house: home brewing
3. relating to one's own ground: a home game
4. central; principal: the company's home office

adverb

1. to or at home: I'll be home tomorrow
2. to or on the point
3. to the fullest extent: hammer the nail home
4. bring home to ⇒ to make clear to
5. to place the blame on
6. nothing to write home about ⇒ to be of no particular interest: the film was nothing to write home about

verb

1. (intransitive) (of birds and other animals) to return home accurately from a distance
2. often followed by on or onto: to direct or be directed onto a point or target, esp by automatic navigational aids
3. to send or go home
4. to furnish with or have a home
5. (intr; often followed by in or in on) to be directed towards a goal, target, etc

Etymology: Old English hām; related to Old Norse heimr, Gothic haims, Old High German heim, Dutch heem, Greek kōmi village

ˈhomeˌlike adjective