Springhouse
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A small building constructed over a spring, formerly used for refrigeration (and thus sometimes also serving as pumphouse, milkhouse, or root cellar). Appalachia
"The very suggestion of a springhouse calls up recollections of quaint, low eaved "homey" farmhouses; the simple life of old-time country homes, and the solidity and picturesque simplicity of ancestral estates. The charm of this home accessory, that was once considered a necessity from an economic standpoint—when it stood for more convenient handling and better prices for the milk and butter of the farm—has come to be an important factor in the home building of to-day. […] The useful springhouse of the farm dairy is adorned with flowering vines and converted into the most decorative feature of the homestead; and even country churches delight in this additional attraction to their church property, where the country members quench their thirst after their long "ride to meeting.""
Example
More examples"The very suggestion of a springhouse calls up recollections of quaint, low eaved "homey" farmhouses; the simple life of old-time country homes, and the solidity and picturesque simplicity of ancestral estates. The charm of this home accessory, that was once considered a necessity from an economic standpoint—when it stood for more convenient handling and better prices for the milk and butter of the farm—has come to be an important factor in the home building of to-day. […] The useful springhouse of the farm dairy is adorned with flowering vines and converted into the most decorative feature of the homestead; and even country churches delight in this additional attraction to their church property, where the country members quench their thirst after their long "ride to meeting.""
Etymology
From spring + house.
Related phrases
More for "springhouse"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.