home-keeping

A person enjoys home-keeping by tending to their indoor plants.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • The act or habit of staying at home: "home-keeping" refers to a tendency or practice of remaining within one's residence, often avoiding social outings or travel.

2. Adjective:

   • Inclined to stay at home: Describes a person who prefers domestic life over going out, often with a connotation of being reclusive or unsociable.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • His home-keeping made him unpopular with his more adventurous friends. (His habit of staying at home caused social friction.)
  • The long winter encouraged a season of home-keeping. (The cold weather promoted staying indoors.)

• Adjective:

  • She is a home-keeping person who rarely visits neighbours. (She prefers domestic life and avoids social calls.)
  • The home-keeping cat never ventured beyond the garden. (The cat stayed close to the house.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be given to home-keeping": to have a strong tendency to remain at home.

  • The elderly widow was given to home-keeping after her husband's death. (She habitually stayed indoors.)

• "home-keeping habits": routines or customs that centre on domestic life.

  • Their home-keeping habits included reading by the fire and cooking elaborate meals. (Their daily life revolved around the house.)

Variants and Related Words

• Homekeeper (n): a person who stays at home frequently or who manages a household.

  • The homekeeper enjoyed gardening and baking. (The person who stays home found pleasure in domestic tasks.)

• Home-kept (adj): maintained or preserved at home (e.g., home-kept food).

  • They ate only home-kept preserves during the winter. (Food stored at home.)

Synonyms

• Stay-at-home: a person who prefers to remain at home rather than go out.
• Domestic: relating to home life; fond of household activities.
• Reclusive: avoiding company; preferring solitude (stronger connotation).
• Housebound: confined to the house, often due to illness or disability.

Related Idioms

• Homebody: a person who enjoys spending time at home.

  • He is a homebody who rarely attends parties. (He prefers domestic comfort over social events.)

• Keep to oneself: to avoid social interaction; to stay alone.

  • She keeps to herself and rarely leaves the house. (She is reclusive.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Stay in: to remain at home instead of going out.

  • We decided to stay in and watch a movie. (We chose home-keeping for the evening.)

• Hole up: to take shelter or remain hidden in a place (often temporary).

  • During the storm, they holed up in the cabin. (They stayed inside, similar to home-keeping.)