homestead

[ hohm-sted, -stid ]
/ ˈhoʊm stɛd, -stɪd /

noun

a dwelling with its land and buildings, occupied by the owner as a home and exempted by a homestead law from seizure or sale for debt.
any dwelling with its land and buildings where a family makes its home.
a tract of land acquired under the Homestead Act.
a house in an urban area acquired under a homesteading program.

verb (used with object)

to acquire or settle on (land) as a homestead: Pioneers homesteaded the valley.

verb (used without object)

to acquire or settle on a homestead: They homesteaded many years ago.

Origin of homestead

before 1000; Old English hāmstede (not found in ME). See home, stead

Definition for homestead (2 of 2)

Homestead
[ hohm-sted, -stid ]
/ ˈhoʊm stɛd, -stɪd /

noun

a town in S Florida.

Example sentences from the Web for homestead

British Dictionary definitions for homestead

homestead
/ (ˈhəʊmˌstɛd, -stɪd) /

noun

a house or estate and the adjoining land, buildings, etc, esp a farm
(in the US) a house and adjoining land designated by the owner as his fixed residence and exempt under the homestead laws from seizure and forced sale for debts
(in western Canada) a piece of land, usually 160 acres, granted to a settler by the federal government
Australian and NZ the owner's or manager's residence on a sheep or cattle station; in New Zealand the term includes all outbuildings