Phrase guide

eat someone out of house and home

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To consume so much of someone's store of food that little or none is left for the owner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Appears in The Second Shepherds' Play by The Wakefield Master (1400-1450), later used by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 (baptised) – 1616) in his play Henry IV, Part 2 (c. 1596–1599): see the quotation.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: die Haare vom Kopf fressen — to consume so much of someone's store of food
  • German: die Haare vom Kopf essen — to consume so much of someone's store of food
  • Hungarian: kieszi a vagyonából — to consume so much of someone's store of food