poorhouse

Thân thiện

A family enters the poorhouse seeking shelter.

Definition

Noun: 1. A publicly funded institution providing basic housing for people who are destitute and have no other means of support. Historically, it was a place where the very poor, including the elderly, infirm, or orphaned, could live, often in exchange for work. Conditions were typically very basic and sometimes harsh.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • In the 19th century, elderly people without family might end their days in the poorhouse.
  • The novel describes the grim conditions inside the county poorhouse.
  • Fear of the poorhouse motivated many to save money for their old age.

Advanced Usage

• Used figuratively to describe a state of extreme poverty or financial ruin.
  • His failed investments nearly sent him to the financial poorhouse.
  • The new tax policy will drive small businesses to the poorhouse.

Variants and Related Words

• Almshouse (n): A historical term similar to poorhouse, often founded by charitable endowment rather than public funds.
• Workhouse (n): A British term for a similar institution where the poor were required to work in return for food and shelter. The conditions were often deliberately austere to discourage dependence.

Synonyms

• Almshouse
• Workhouse (primarily UK historical context)
• Charity institution
• Public asylum (archaic)

Related Idioms

• (Go/be sent to) the poorhouse: To become completely impoverished or bankrupt.
  • Paying for that surgery will send us to the poorhouse!

Học thuật

Noun

1. an establishment maintained at public expense in order to provide housing for the poor and homeless