home
home — verb
1. to go back to the house, apartment, or place where you normally live, especially
to go back to the house, apartment, or place where you normally live, especially after being away for some time, such as after work, a trip, or a stay elsewhere.
After three months in Japan, Mateo finally homed to Sydney last week.
home + to [place] for returning after a long trip
The fishing boat homed to its small harbour before the storm hit.
Christopher homed from the airport by midnight and collapsed onto the sofa.
Every evening the old dog homes to the back porch and waits for dinner.
- leave
to go away from home
文法句型
home (to/from)
用法筆記
Frequently used with a prepositional phrase (home to, home from) rather than alone. More common in literary or descriptive writing than in everyday speech, where 'go home' or 'come back' is preferred.
常見錯誤
2. to travel across a long distance and successfully return to the particular place
to travel across a long distance and successfully return to the particular place where you were born or originally lived, used especially for birds, fish, and other migrating animals.
Salmon always home to the exact river where they hatched years earlier.
subject is a migrating animal; always + home to [place]
Scientists fitted the pigeon with a tiny tracker before it homed across two countries.
Sea turtles home to the same stretch of sand decades after they hatched.
The research team studied how young swallows home to their original nesting site each spring.
文法句型
home (to/from)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always an animal. Used in biology and nature writing. Not used for human travel except in poetic or metaphorical contexts.
3. to move steadily towards a target by detecting and following a physical signal o
to move steadily towards a target by detecting and following a physical signal or visual landmark, such as a radio wave, a light, or a geographic feature.
The missile homed in on the radar signal from the warship below.
home in on + [signal] as the target
A rescue drone homed toward the emergency beacon on the mountainside.
The guided boat homed in on the harbour light through the thick fog.
Each delivery drone homes toward the GPS coordinates of the customer's garden.
文法句型
home in on + object
用法筆記
Almost always appears with the particle 'in on' (home in on) or 'toward' (home toward). The object is the target being approached. Do not confuse with 'hone in on' — 'hone' means to sharpen, and although some speakers use 'hone in on', the traditional form is 'home in on'.
常見錯誤
4. to direct your effort, attention, or discussion toward a particular problem, cau
to direct your effort, attention, or discussion toward a particular problem, cause, or topic as the most important one — for example, homing in on the real reason for a disagreement.
The investigation homed in on three key transactions from last January.
home in on + [abstract target issue]
During the debate, Nkechi homed in on the rising cost of rent in the city.
The teacher homed in on the main grammar error that confused the whole class.
Reporters homed toward the minister's financial records rather than the policy itself.
- zero in on
more emphatic and slightly less formal
- pinpoint
implies identifying the exact issue with precision
- focus on
much more common and neutral; does not imply the narrowing-down process
文法句型
home in on + object
用法筆記
This figurative sense is derived from sense 3. It always takes a preposition (in on, toward) and an object. The subject is usually a person, a group, or a process (investigation, discussion). Distinguish from sense 3, where the target is a physical signal or landmark rather than an abstract issue.
5. to give a new home to an animal, especially a stray or rescued pet, by placing i
to give a new home to an animal, especially a stray or rescued pet, by placing it in a suitable household where it will be cared for.
The shelter homed over two hundred stray cats and dogs last year alone.
active transitive: shelter + homed + number + animals
Tanvi's rescued rabbit was homed with a family that had a large garden.
passive: be homed with + [caring entity]
The charity works hard to home abandoned puppies before the winter months arrive.
All the kittens from the litter have now been homed with loving owners.
文法句型
be homed + preposition (at/in/with)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice (be homed). The active voice typically has an organization or shelter as the subject. More common in British English than American English. Not used for people except in institutional contexts (e.g. fostering children).
常見錯誤
home — noun
1. a building such as a house or apartment where a person or family lives on a regu
a building such as a house or apartment where a person or family lives on a regular basis.
Aoi's home is a small apartment on the fourth floor of an old building.
possessive + home for where someone lives
After three weeks abroad, Christopher was glad to be back in his own home.
The family sold their large home and moved into a smaller one near the park.
Millions of homes across the island lost electricity during the strong storm.
文法句型
somebody's home
a home
the home
用法筆記
Countable noun — you can say 'a home', 'the home', or 'homes'. In everyday speech, 'house' and 'home' overlap, but 'home' carries a stronger emotional sense of family and belonging. Frequently used with a possessive: 'my home', 'their home'.
常見錯誤
2. a building such as a house or apartment that people buy and sell, and whose valu
a building such as a house or apartment that people buy and sell, and whose value can rise or fall.
Élise and Felipe want a new home in the suburbs with a large garden.
a home meaning a property to buy
Home prices in this area have risen by fifteen percent this year.
Buying your first home is a big financial decision that requires careful planning.
A real estate agent showed Roya three different homes before she found one she liked.
文法句型
a home
the home
a home for sale
用法筆記
In this sense, 'home' is a commercial term interchangeable with 'property' or 'real estate'. It is countable but often appears with an adjective ('new home', 'first home', 'holiday home'). Common in real estate advertising and news about the housing market.
常見錯誤
3. the family you grow up in and the values, habits, and social conditions that sha
the family you grow up in and the values, habits, and social conditions that shape your early life.
Kwame comes from a home where education and hard work were always encouraged.
from a home meaning family background
Children from unstable homes often need extra support at school to succeed.
Mayumi was raised in a musical home where everyone played at least one instrument.
The social worker visited the home and spoke with both parents about the child's progress.
- household
more neutral focus on the people living together rather than the emotional environment
- upbringing
refers to the way a person is raised, not the family unit itself
文法句型
somebody's home
from a ... home
用法筆記
In this sense, 'home' is uncountable and refers to the atmosphere and values of a household, not a physical building. Frequently modified by adjectives that describe social or cultural conditions: 'a stable home', 'a broken home', 'a loving home'.
常見錯誤
4. a place run by staff where people who need regular help can live, or where stray
a place run by staff where people who need regular help can live, or where stray animals are housed until new owners adopt them.
Gabriela's grandmother moved into a nursing home after she could no longer walk safely.
nursing home for elderly care
The local animal home found homes for all the dogs and cats within two months.
Volunteers at the children's home organise trips to the beach every summer holiday.
Many families visit their relatives in the care home every Sunday afternoon.
- nursing home
specific to medical care for elderly or ill residents
- shelter
more common for animal homes; also used for homeless people
- residential care
formal term covering all types of staffed accommodation for people who need help
文法句型
a home for ...
a ... home
in a home
用法筆記
This sense always combines with a preceding noun that specifies the type of care: 'nursing home', 'retirement home', 'care home', 'children's home', 'animal home'. The compound noun is treated as countable — 'a nursing home', 'two nursing homes'.
常見錯誤
5. a place such as a town, region, or country where you feel you truly belong, or w
a place such as a town, region, or country where you feel you truly belong, or where something originally came from and developed.
Sana was born in Japan but considers the small town in Wales her spiritual home.
spiritual home for a place of belonging
This region is home to a rare orchid found nowhere else on Earth.
the home of meaning the place of origin
After years abroad, Nia found a home in a fishing village by the coast.
The museum is home to an impressive collection of ancient pottery from the Zhou dynasty.
Wren felt an immediate sense of home the moment she stepped into the old library.
- birthplace
only the literal place where someone was born, not an emotional sense of belonging
- homeland
stronger emotional and political sense; often used for a country you feel loyalty to
- roots
always plural; refers to family heritage and culture rather than a single location
文法句型
somebody's home
the home of something
feel at home
用法筆記
This sense can be either literal (geographical place of origin) or emotional (somewhere you feel you belong even if you were not born there). 'To be home to something' is a fixed pattern meaning 'to contain or be the location of'. 'Spiritual home' is a common collocation for a place that feels right even if you have no family ties there.
6. the country where you were born or grew up, seen in contrast to other countries
the country where you were born or grew up, seen in contrast to other countries you might visit or live in.
Sivan studied abroad for three years but always planned to return home afterwards.
return home meaning go back to one's country
News stories about events back home made the students feel a little homesick.
The ambassador spoke to reporters about trade relations between Japan and her home country.
Felipe missed the food from home more than anything else during his first year abroad.
- homeland
more formal and carries stronger emotional or patriotic feelings
- native country
specifically the country where a person was born
- abroad
in or to a foreign country
文法句型
at home
back home
in someone's home country
用法筆記
In this sense, 'home' is uncountable and appears without an article in common fixed expressions: 'at home' (domestically), 'back home' (in one's country of origin), 'from home' (from one's native country). When the meaning is 'your own country', use 'home country' or 'at home' rather than just 'home' alone to avoid ambiguity with the building sense.
常見錯誤
7. the location — usually a field, stadium, or court — where a sports team regularl
the location — usually a field, stadium, or court — where a sports team regularly plays its own matches, as opposed to an opponent's ground.
The Wanderers have won all four of their home games this season.
collocation: home games
Nellie prefers playing at home because her family can watch from the stands.
collocation: at home (prepositional phrase)
The team's home stadium holds more than thirty thousand fans.
Christopher scored the winning goal at home in front of a noisy crowd.
Playing away from home is harder because the fans support the other team.
- home ground
more common in British English for the specific field or stadium
- home turf
informal, suggests the familiar territory of a team
- away ground
the opponent's venue
文法句型
at home
away from home
home + noun (home game, home stadium)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrases 'at home' (on one's own field) and 'away from home' (on an opponent's field). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not refer to a place of residence.
常見錯誤
8. in baseball, the flat five-sided rubber base that a hitter stands next to; a run
in baseball, the flat five-sided rubber base that a hitter stands next to; a runner must reach this base to score a point, also called home plate.
The runner slid into home just before the catcher tagged him.
phrase: slide into home
Yan stepped up to home and waited for the pitcher's throw.
phrase: step up to home
Gita hit the ball deep and sprinted from home toward first base.
The umpire crouched behind home to watch each pitch closely.
Maja's first home run sent the ball flying over the fence.
- home plate
the full, formal term for this base
文法句型
at home
to home
slide into home
cross home
用法筆記
This sense is restricted to baseball (and rarely softball). 'Home' alone is used as a short form of 'home plate'; the full term is also common. The phrase 'at home' here means at the home plate position, not at a team's stadium.
常見錯誤
home — adjective
1. describing the house, apartment, or other place where a person or family lives,
describing the house, apartment, or other place where a person or family lives, especially when referring to contact details or location.
Samir wrote down his home address on the school form.
attributive: home + noun (address, telephone, number)
The courier left the parcel at Élise's home address.
Romi changed her home telephone number after moving to a new flat.
The school keeps each student's home contact details on file.
- residential
More formal; describes an area or property type rather than a specific dwelling's contact details
- work
Contrasts home contact details with those at a workplace
文法句型
home + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun; the noun it modifies refers to a person's dwelling or contact information at that dwelling.
常見錯誤
2. done inside a house or apartment, or made or designed to be used there.
done inside a house or apartment, or made or designed to be used there.
Sari bought a home bread maker to bake fresh loaves every morning.
attributive: home + noun for equipment or appliances
The shop sells home baking supplies like flour, sugar, and yeast.
Ignacio set up a home office in the spare bedroom.
Lina used a home pregnancy test before visiting the doctor.
- commercial
Describes things done or used in a business or professional setting
- industrial
Describes things designed for factories or large-scale operations
文法句型
home + noun (equipment, activity, food)
用法筆記
Commonly combines with nouns for equipment, foods, activities, and tests that are done or used in a domestic setting rather than commercially or institutionally.
常見錯誤
3. relating to family members, private routines, and personal matters within a hous
relating to family members, private routines, and personal matters within a household, as opposed to work or public life.
Abigail enjoys the quiet routines of home life after a busy week at school.
attributive: home + noun (life, atmosphere, environment)
Xiu shares home duties like cooking and cleaning with her flatmates.
A warm home atmosphere helps young children feel safe and confident.
The social worker visited to check on the child's home environment.
Asher misses the comfort of home cooking while living in the dormitory.
文法句型
home + noun (life, environment, duties)
用法筆記
Frequently appears with nouns related to daily family routines and emotional well-being. Distinguish from sense 1 (HOME ADDRESS), which refers to the physical dwelling itself, not the family life within it.
常見錯誤
4. relating to activities, products, or conditions within a person's own country, r
relating to activities, products, or conditions within a person's own country, rather than in foreign nations.
The government provides loans to support home industries like farming and car making.
attributive: home + noun for country-internal matters
Christopher decided to attend a home university instead of studying abroad.
Home sales of furniture rose sharply during the spring season.
Sofie prefers to buy home products because of the lower shipping costs.
- domestic
Interchangeable in most contexts; 'domestic' is slightly more formal and more common in official writing
- internal
Used in formal or technical contexts, especially economics ('internal market')
- local
Narrower in scope; usually refers to a smaller area within a country rather than the whole nation
- foreign
Direct opposite; describes activities or products in other countries
- overseas
Describes trade or relations with countries across the sea
- international
Describes matters involving multiple countries
文法句型
home + noun (market, sales, industry)
用法筆記
Common in economics and business contexts. Often contrasts with 'foreign', 'overseas', or 'international' in the same sentence or paragraph.
常見錯誤
5. describing a sports event that takes place at the team's own stadium or ground,
describing a sports event that takes place at the team's own stadium or ground, rather than at an opponent's venue.
The team won all five home games this season without a single loss.
attributive: home + noun for sports events at the team's own ground
Roya's father took her to watch the home match against Spain on Saturday.
Fans cheered loudly at the home stadium when the captain scored the goal.
Our team has a home advantage because the crowd supports us loudly.
- away
Describes a game played at the opponent's venue; the standard paired opposite in sports contexts
文法句型
home + noun (game, match, stadium)
用法筆記
Used in all team sports. The opposite concept is 'away' (away game, away match). 'Home' in this sense never appears alone after a verb (not 'the game is home').
常見錯誤
home — idiom
home — adverb
1. in the building or area where someone lives, or moving toward that place.
in the building or area where someone lives, or moving toward that place.
Roya walked home after her evening class at the university.
walked home — motion verb + home, no preposition
Nobody was home when I knocked on the door.
be home — describing someone's location
Kabir stayed home all weekend to prepare for the exam.
We should get home before the bakery closes at six.
Jisoo drove home through the rain after the concert ended.
- indoors
focuses on being inside a building rather than the sense of residence
文法句型
verb + home (go home, come home, walk home)
be + home (is anyone home?)
stay/remain + home
用法筆記
Unlike place nouns such as 'school' or 'work', 'home' used as an adverb does not need a preposition after verbs of motion — write 'go home', NOT 'go to home'. In American English 'stay home' is standard; British English often prefers 'stay at home'.
常見錯誤
2. in or toward the nation or region where a person originally belongs, as opposed
in or toward the nation or region where a person originally belongs, as opposed to a place they currently live temporarily.
Christopher moved back home to Kenya after five years in London.
back home — return to one's country of origin
Dahlia calls home every Sunday to talk with her parents.
calls home — contacting one's home country
The price of fresh fruit here is much lower than back home.
Valentina plans to return home after she finishes her degree.
A letter from home brought news about the village festival.
文法句型
back + home (go back home, move back home)
verb + home (return home, call home)
from + home (news from home)
用法筆記
Frequently appears with 'back' in phrases like 'back home' to emphasise the idea of one's original country or area. Common after verbs of returning (return, go back, come back) and communication (call, write, send news). The phrase 'from home' refers specifically to news, letters, or contact coming from one's native country.
常見錯誤
home — biographical name
1. William Douglas-Home (1912–1992), a British writer of stage comedies whose works
William Douglas-Home (1912–1992), a British writer of stage comedies whose works include The Chiltern Hundreds and The Reluctant Peer, and who was the younger brother of Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home.
The school's drama society put on The Chiltern Hundreds by William Douglas-Home last spring.
theatrical performance context
Librarian Tariq found a first edition of a William Douglas-Home play in the archive.
Audiences in the 1950s enjoyed the light comedies of writers like William Douglas-Home.
The biography compares William Douglas-Home's career with that of his more famous brother, Alec.
A newspaper article from 1962 reviewed William Douglas-Home's latest play in glowing terms.
用法筆記
This entry refers to the dramatist William Douglas-Home (pronounced /hjuːm/), whose surname is spelled the same as the common English word 'home' but pronounced differently. He is chiefly remembered for his West End comedies of the 1940s–1960s and for being the brother of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, British prime minister from 1963 to 1964.