Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The tasks, such as cleaning and cooking, that are performed in housekeeping.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Domestic work; the work of housekeeping.
  • noun Domestic work; the work of housekeeping.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The work belonging to housekeeping; especially, kitchen work, sweeping, scrubbing, bed making, and the like.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Domestic household chores such as cleaning and cooking.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the work of cleaning and running a house

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From house +‎ work. Cognate with Dutch huiswerk ("homework, chore, task").

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Examples

  • I juggle the husband and kids, too – and my housework is ALWAYS the last thing I worry about.

    I’m A Writer by Eva Gale 2009

  • Christmas comes once a year, but housework is forever.

    Cheeseburger Gothic » Ladies Lounge 2009

  • As others have said, this assumes that housework is an undefined lump of a good.

    Feminism and Just Price Theory, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • "We don't really know which way the current recession is going to affect relationships between men and women — whether men are going to step up to the plate and become much more involved in housework and parenting or whether they're going to do what other studies have shown them to do — which is try to express their masculinity by doing even less," says California psychologist and therapist Joshua Coleman, conference co-chairman.

    Family life, roles changing as couples seek balance 2009

  • I finished the galleys for Siege on Friday, spent the weekend up to my eyeballs in housework and SW interviews and stuff, and shortly I run round to the post office to pick up the galleys for Reluctant Mage.

    A Star Wars interview karenmiller 2010

  • I have found that there is romance in housework: and charm in it; and whimsy and humor without end.

    Archive 2008-10-01 Linda 2008

  • When we are young mothers babies are our focus and it is very usual, normal and proper not necessarily have time to be very creative in housework, cooking, decorating or crafting.

    Contentment 2008

  • My main role in housework is hoovering up the rubbish (and anyone complaining about my British English will be summarily banned) every Sunday morning, so this recent survey conducted by DIMSDRIVE Research into vacuum cleaners is right up my street.

    Vacuum cleaners in Japan: part 1 of 2 2008

  • Although child rearing, unlike housework, is important and can be difficult, it does not take well-developed political skills to rule over creatures smaller than you are, weaker than you are, and completely dependent upon you for survival or thriving.

    I Choose My Choice! 2008

  • I have found that there is romance in housework: and charm in it; and whimsy and humor without end.

    The Symphony of Supper-Time Linda 2008

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