house guest
16
2.1
- noun
- /ˈhaʊs ˌɡɛst/
- We have a house guest.
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Watch on YouTubeWho is going to be a polite house guest, let's put it that way.
- Who is going to be a polite house guest, let's put it that way.
- We're starting with that because it's nice for the house guests to feel welcome.
Examples
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You're our house guest.
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We haven't had house guests for many months now.
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We're starting with that because it's nice for the house guests to feel welcome.
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Yeah, who is this house guest, anyway?
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Please explain our new house guests to your children.
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Now, my house guest will be able to do the same.
Blog text (22) -
By the way, I'd like you to meet my new house guest.
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We wanted you here with us, but we had an unexpected house guest.
Fiction book (2002) -
Cody is our house guest.
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By the way, I'd like you to meet my new house guest.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A person invited to someone's home, hotel, restaurant, or event
23
2.3
A person who stays in someone else's home as a guest
2
5.1
A person who stays somewhere for one night as a guest
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person invited to stay in someone's home' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'house' (home/building) and 'guest' (person receiving hospitality). This noun–noun composition is a common, literal pattern across languages and follows standard English compounding/collocation rules, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
House guest comes from the simple image of a guest who stays in your house. Families have long welcomed travelers into their homes to eat and sleep, so the phrase means 'a person invited to stay and be entertained'.