homestead

/ˌhoʊmˈstɛd/

/ˈhʌʊmstɛd/

Other forms: homesteads; homesteading; homesteaded

A homestead is a house and surrounding land owned by a family — often, it includes a farmhouse.

Most people have homes, but not everyone has a homestead: that means your family owns more than a house. The homestead often consists of a farmhouse and land devoted to crops or animals. You'll find a lot more homesteads in rural areas than in cities. Often, a homestead is passed down from parents to children for generations.

Definitions of homestead

1. noun

   the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family
   type of:

   land

   the land on which real estate is located
2. noun

   dwelling that is usually a farmhouse and adjoining land
   type of:

   abode, domicile, dwelling, dwelling house, habitation, home

   housing that someone is living in
3. noun

   land acquired from the United States public lands by filing a record and living on and cultivating it under the homestead law
   type of:

   acres, demesne, estate, land, landed estate

   extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use
4. verb

   settle land given by the government and occupy it as a homestead
   type of:

   settle

   form a community