Meaning & use
almshouse
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashioned
A house where old or poor people live, usually provided by a charity and often in a group of small homes.
Grammar: Countable: one almshouse, two almshouses.
Patterns
- live in an almshouse
- a set of almshouses
- be founded as an almshouse
The old man spent his last years in an almshouse near the church.
The row of almshouses was built in 1620 for retired servants.
Many almshouses are still managed by local charities today.
Word forms
| plural | almshouses |
|---|
Common combinations
- live in an almshouse
- After her husband died, she went to live in an almshouse.
- a medieval almshouse
- The medieval almshouse is now a small museum.
- a charity almshouse
- The charity almshouse offers free housing to older residents.
- a row of almshouses
- A row of almshouses lines the quiet street.
Synonyms and how they differ
- poorhouse
- A poorhouse was a place where poor people had to work; an almshouse was usually a kinder charity home for the elderly.
- shelter
- A shelter is a general place for homeless people; an almshouse is a permanent charity home, often historical.
Word family
- alms noun
- Money or food given to poor people as charity.
Commonly confused: almshouse or almhouse? almshouse or warehouse?
almshouse vs almhouse
This is a misspelling. The correct spelling is 'almshouse' with an 's'.
almshouse vs warehouse
A warehouse is a large building for storing goods; an almshouse is a charity home for people.
Practice
The correct spelling of the word for a charity home for old people is ______.
Choose one answer.
'Almshouse' is the standard spelling. 'Almhouse' is a common misspelling, and the other options are not English words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “almshouse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.