Checking saved dictionary data and trusted language sources. This will stop automatically if a source does not respond.
Pronunciation varies by accent · noun
Alternative form of big house (“religious building of the Delaware Indians”)..
(Actually, there were several different styles of bighouses, including an underground one which was roofed over—a similar type of architecture is currently popular in some parts of the country as an energy-efficient house.)[…]Mask dancers may use the bighouse for some ceremonies and rituals, but may perform at functions anywhere.
Consequently, human affairs tended to seem like a small world set within the much larger world of the cosmos. This explains symbolism such as that of the Delaware bighouses, which were constructed to mimic the different levels of the cosmos.[…]The symbolism of the bighouse reminded the Delaware that all their activities lay open to the powers that had made the world.
In addition, he built a ceremonial bighouse on the grounds of the Provincial Museum, carved new masks for use, and dedicated the house with a formal presentation of some of his dance privileges that culminated in the distribution of potlatch gifts.
Use big house when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Big house means Alternative form of big house (“religious building of the Delaware Indians”)..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
(Actually, there were several different styles of bighouses, including an underground one which was roofed over—a similar type of architecture is currently popular in some parts of the country as an energy-efficient house.)[…]Mask dancers may use the bighouse for some ceremonies and rituals, but may perform at functions anywhere.
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.