Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Made on the premises, as of a restaurant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Produced in house or by the establishment in which they are sold

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

house +‎ made

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Examples

  • In Brooklyn, restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Dressler rarely deign to serve dishes not described as housemade: housemade gnocchi with morel ragout ($15); cheddar burger with housemade pickles ($13.50); housemade pecan sticky buns ($4); and, lest the liquor feel left out, a cocktail with house-infused orange vodka ($11).

    House Sweet House 2009

  • Behold "housemade": the artisanal adjective that has yet to appear in - Merriam-Webster but is suddenly materializing on menus across the nation, often where a humble "home-made" used to be.

    House Sweet House 2009

  • We ordered one pizza to share with fennel sausage ("housemade" in restaurant parlance), sweet peppers, and Vidalia onions (which are not in season, but whatev).

    Day 88: Weekend Report, Part 1 Vanessa 2007

  • But "housemade" is a term for pretentious restaurants, and what's charming about this lasagna is how unpretentious it is, hardly different from what you might make at home.

    Riverfront Times | Complete Issue 2009

  • The menu describes this as "housemade," but I think homemade is the more appropriate term.

    Riverfront Times | Complete Issue 2009

  • The menu describes this as "housemade," but I think homemade is the more appropriate term.

    Riverfront Times | Complete Issue 2009

  • But "housemade" is a term for pretentious restaurants, and what's charming about this lasagna is how unpretentious it is, hardly different from what you might make at home.

    Riverfront Times | Complete Issue 2009

  • Now, you can find housemade versions proudly advertised at cocktail bars — Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar in Manhattan serves two varieties — and at gourmet food stores.

    Quirky Jerky Lauren Shockey 2010

  • Waiters passed small bowls of housemade tofu and soba noodles from Iwate, one of the areas devastated by the tsunami and its aftermath, while Mr. Marsalis played to a rapt, toe-tapping audience.

    Art, Auction for Japan 2011

  • On the menu: Fancy sandwiches, such as a tamarind pork loin with housemade duck sauce ($8) or a Reuben ($9) made with short ribs corned on-site.

    Grocer Goes Gourmet 2011

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