A homestead is a farmhouse, together with the land around it.
2. countable noun
In United States history, a homestead was a piece of government land in the west, which was given to someone so they could settle there and develop a farm.
[US]
homestead in British English
(ˈhəʊmˌstɛd, -stɪd)
noun
1.
a house or estate and the adjoining land, buildings, etc, esp a farm
2.
(in the US) a house and adjoining land designated by the owner as his or her fixed residence and exempt under the homestead laws from seizure and forced sale for debts
3.
(in western Canada) a piece of land, usually 160 acres, granted to a settler by the federal government
4. Australian and New Zealand
the owner's or manager's residence on a sheep or cattle station; in New Zealand the term includes all outbuildings
homestead in American English
(ˈhoumsted, -stɪd)
noun
1.
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
2.
any dwelling with its land and buildings where a family makes its home
3.
a tract of land acquired under the Homestead Act
4.
a house in an urban area acquired under a homesteading program
transitive verb
5.
to acquire or settle on (land) as a homestead
Pioneers homesteaded the valley
intransitive verb
6.
to acquire or settle on a homestead
They homesteaded many years ago
Word origin
[bef. 1000; OE hāmstede (not found in ME). See home, stead]
Examples of 'homestead' in a sentence
homestead
That always used to be one of the major delights of the Kenworthy homestead, when they were lucky enough to have Daddy home.
Hilton, John Buxton THE INNOCENTS AT HOME (A SUPERINTENDENT KENWORTHY NOVEL) (1977)
And I couldn't bear the thought that I had lost the family homestead.
Shell, Ray ICED (1977)
Even to an Irishman used to castles and mansions, this Australian homestead was imposing.
Colleen McCullough THE THORN BIRDS (1977)
In other languages
homestead
British English: homestead NOUN
A homestead is a farmhouse, together with the land around it.