semi-detached houses

Meaning

1. 1nounpluralBritish

   Houses built in pairs, each sharing one wall with its neighbor but standing separately on the other sides.

   Grammar: Plural of semi-detached house; informally often called semis.

   Patterns

   • live in semi-detached houses
   • a street of semi-detached houses

   Most of the homes on our street are semi-detached houses built in the 1930s.

   Semi-detached houses are usually cheaper than fully detached ones.

   The estate has rows of semi-detached houses with small front gardens.

Word forms

Common combinations

rows of semi-detached houses

Rows of semi-detached houses lined the road.

buy semi-detached houses

Young couples often buy semi-detached houses as a first home.

typical semi-detached houses

The area is full of typical semi-detached houses.

semi-detached houses for sale

We looked at several semi-detached houses for sale.

pairs of semi-detached houses

Pairs of semi-detached houses share a central wall.

Synonyms and how they differ

semis

Semis is an informal British short form used in conversation.

duplexes

Duplexes is the American word, and can also mean one building with two apartments one above the other.

twin houses

Twin houses stresses that the two halves look alike and is more common in some regions.

double houses

Double houses is a less common term used in parts of the United States.

Opposites

Word family

semi-detached adjective

joined on one side to another building

detached adjective

standing alone, not joined

semi noun

informal short form for semi-detached house

terraced adjective

joined in a continuous row

Commonly confused: semi-detached houses or terraced houses?

Practice

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