1
a
: a brick, stone, or concrete area in front of a fireplace
b
: the floor of a fireplace
also
: fireplace
c
: the lowest section of a furnace
especially
: the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat
2
: home
longed for the comforts of hearth and home
3
: a vital or creative center
the central hearth of occidental civilization—
A. L. Kroeber
A. L. KroeberExamples of hearth in a Sentence
They swept the ashes from the hearth.
all were welcome, friends and strangers alike, to their humble hearth
Recent Examples on the Web
When Joe intervenes, the men start to grapple, and Bronte pointedly looks at the stone fireplace hearth.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
These hearths date back to the coldest period of the Ice Age, between 26,500 and 19,000 years ago.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
There, a fireplace has a white mantel and a red brick hearth, and around the corner is a formal dining room with its own fireplace and a set of pocket doors to the kitchen.
—Angela Serratore, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Excavations have uncovered tools, bones and fire hearths.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearth
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Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
These hearths date back to the coldest period of the Ice Age, between 26,500 and 19,000 years ago.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
There, a fireplace has a white mantel and a red brick hearth, and around the corner is a formal dining room with its own fireplace and a set of pocket doors to the kitchen.
—Angela Serratore, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Excavations have uncovered tools, bones and fire hearths.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearth
Cite this Entry
“Hearth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearth. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hearth
noun1
a
: the area in front of a fireplace
b
: the floor of a fireplace
c
: the lowest section of a blast furnace
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