homestead
UK: ˈhəʊmstɛd | US: ˈhoʊmstɛd
n. a house, especially a farmhouse, with adjoining buildings and land
n. (historical) land granted by the U.S. government to a settler for farming
n. (figurative) a place of residence or origin
The word "homestead" combines "home" (Old English hām, meaning "dwelling" or "village") and "stead" (Old English stede, meaning "place" or "site"). Originally, it referred to a family's dwelling and its surrounding farmland. In the 19th century, it gained legal significance in the U.S. through the Homestead Act (1862), which granted settlers land for cultivation. The term retains its core idea of a settled, productive place tied to domestic life.
The family built their homestead on the prairie in the 1800s.
She inherited a small homestead with a barn and orchard.
The Homestead Act encouraged westward expansion in America.
Their ancestral homestead has been preserved as a museum.
After retirement, they dreamed of owning a quiet homestead in the countryside.