housebreak
HOWSS-brake
/ˈhaʊsbreɪk/
To train a domestic animal to urinate and defecate outdoors or in a designated area, rather than inside the house.
In the UK, the term 'house-train' is more common, while 'housebreak' is standard in the US.
The story behind the word. The term 'break' here refers to 'breaking' an animal's wild or natural habits to fit into a human household, similar to 'breaking' a horse.
Word relationships
- house-train: House-train is slightly more formal and common in British English.
Commonly confused with
- crate-train: Crate-training is using a cage to help with housebreaking, but they are not the same thing.
Word family
- housebroken (adjective): Having been trained to go outside.
Collocations
- housebreak a puppy
- fully housebroken
Example sentences
- "It took nearly three weeks to housebreak the new rescue dog, but consistency finally paid off." New pet ownership.
Memory hook
HOUSE-BREAK: You are BREAKing the habit of going inside the HOUSE. Indoor manners.
When not to use
Do not use this for teaching an animal not to bite or jump; it refers specifically to toilet habits.
Fun facts
- Cats are usually easier to housebreak than dogs because they have a natural instinct to bury their waste in sand or soil.
Related words
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