homestead

A house and the land and buildings around it, especially on a farm.

• Their homestead includes a small barn.
• We visited the family homestead in the hills.
• Several abandoned homesteads stood along the valley.

Similar words: farmstead

Common phrases: family homestead, old homestead, rural homestead

Land given by the government to settlers in North America for them to live on and farm.

• The family claimed a homestead in Canada.
• Their homestead covered 160 acres of prairie.
• Settlers had to cultivate their homesteads to secure ownership.

Similar words: land grant

Common phrases: claim a homestead, prairie homestead, homestead grant

The place where a person lives and feels at home.

• He longed to return to his homestead.
• Her childhood homestead stood at the end of the lane.
• They welcomed us into their modest homestead.

Similar words: home, dwelling

Common phrases: ancestral homestead, beloved homestead, someone’s homestead

A group of houses where members of one large family live.

• Three generations share this homestead.
• Each household has its own house within the homestead.
• The village consists of several large family homesteads.

Similar words: family compound

Common phrases: family homestead, traditional homestead, homestead courtyard

To acquire land or settle on it to establish a home and farm.

• The family homesteaded in the valley.
• They planned to homestead on land near the river.
• Her grandparents homesteaded forty acres and built a cabin.

How to use it: homestead on something (They decided to homestead on the prairie.)

Similar words: settle

Common phrases: homestead on land, homestead the land

To gain ownership of a limited resource that belongs to nobody by taking it into use.

• The theory allows people to homestead unowned resources.
• She argued that using the land had homesteaded it.
• Can someone homestead a scarce resource without excluding others?

Similar words: appropriate, claim

Common phrases: homestead a resource, homestead unowned property