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playhouse

playhouse

31 2.3
A small house for children to play in
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪˌhaʊs/
translation icon : casita de juegos
  • After their birthday party, the kids ran straight to the playhouse to continue their games.
  • build a playhouse
  • playhouse for kids
  • child's playhouse

Examples

  • We used to work for days making playhouses, and our home was always open to other people's children.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And after this payday, I'm gonna get my girl a new playhouse, and a bike.

  • And behind his huge house for his two kids, he had a Playhouse that looked just like that.

  • This is the playhouse, otherwise known as my castle.

  • Oh, I needed a playhouse.

  • Then one night I heard her there in the playhouse, whispering.

  • Bernie bought this playhouse for my girls.

  • I think of how much Marcus and Howie love the little playhouse I'm still paying off.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The day our father built our log-cabin playhouse, Davis had limped around the backyard shouting, "Look, Dad!"

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The children spent hours pretending to cook and play in their new playhouse in the backyard.

Synonyms

dollhouse
vsplayhouse
16 1.0

A small model of a house with tiny furniture for children to play with

is intended for children to play inside rather than for dolls
doll's house
vsplayhouse
  • Baby Talk
1 2.1

A small model house with tiny furniture that children play with using dolls

is meant for children to enter and play inside, not only for dolls
wendy house
vsplayhouse
  • UK
6.1

A small toy house that children play in

is usually a smaller model, not necessarily large enough to be entered

How Big

clubhouse
86 2.3
playhouse
31 2.3
dollhouse
16 1.0

Surface Forms

playhouse singular
playhouses plural

Morphology

playhouse = play + house (transparent) = play + house

The meaning is directly the combination of 'play' + 'house' (a house for play), which is clear to learners.

Etymology

Playhouse joins play and house, so think of a small 'house' made for 'play'. That's why a playhouse today is a little house or model where children pretend and have fun.