housing
housing — noun
1. buildings such as houses and apartments where people live, especially when discu
buildings such as houses and apartments where people live, especially when discussing their cost, quality, or how many are available.
The city is facing a serious housing shortage as more young families move in.
collocation: housing shortage
Shirin found affordable housing through a government programme for first-time buyers.
collocation: affordable housing
The university plans to build more student housing near the campus.
Rising housing prices have made it hard for young people to buy a home.
Beatrix complained to the landlord about the poor housing conditions in the building.
- accommodation
broader term that includes temporary places like hotels; more common in British English
- shelter
emphasises protection from the elements; often used for emergency or basic living spaces
- homes
more personal and emotional in tone; focuses on where people live rather than the building stock
- homelessness
the state of having no housing at all
文法句型
housing + noun (housing crisis, housing market)
adjective + housing (affordable housing, student housing)
housing + preposition + noun (housing for families)
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — you cannot say 'a housing' to mean a single house. Use 'a house' or 'an apartment' for a specific dwelling. Frequently paired with adjectives describing availability, cost, or quality (affordable, public, student, low-income).
常見錯誤
2. a hard outer case that fits around a machine, engine, or mechanical part to prot
a hard outer case that fits around a machine, engine, or mechanical part to protect it and keep its pieces in place.
A small fan inside the computer housing helps keep the processor cool.
collocation: computer housing
The mechanic removed the outer housing of the engine to look for cracks.
collocation: engine / outer housing
Yasmin noticed that the plastic housing around the drill had cracked after the fall.
The protective housing for the water pump is made of stainless steel.
Dust had collected inside the speaker housing, making the sound muffled.
文法句型
noun + housing (engine housing, fan housing)
material + housing (plastic housing, metal housing)
the housing of + noun (the housing of the pump)
用法筆記
Countable — each machine part or device has its own housing. Common in engineering, automotive repair, and electronics contexts. Often specifies the material (plastic housing, aluminium housing) or the part it encloses (gear housing, bearing housing).