rehome

verb

re·​home (ˌ)rē-ˈhōm 

rehomed; rehoming; rehomes

transitive verb

: to provide (someone or something) with a different home or location : relocate

The goal is to rehome unused crafting materials that are in good condition so they don't end up in the landfill or collect dust in a drawer.

—Maria Lockwood

… the St. Petersburg couple has made a career out of saving bees, running a removal service and nonprofit organization full time. Noble Nectar Apiaries removes the flying critters and rehomes them as an alternative to extermination.

—Selene San Felice

: such as

a

: to transfer ownership or possession of (an animal and especially a pet)

Social media is full of posts from people who say they're rehoming their pet. They claim they're not home enough to give them the kind of life they deserve.

—John Moore

Cats continue to prowl the Queens' Marketplace despite efforts by advocacy groups to rehome 98 feral felines last year.

—Kelsey Walling

b

: to establish (someone, such as a refugee or displaced person) in a new home or location

The International Rescue Committee, a global organization that rehomes refugees, is helping settle around 100 refugees in Iowa City over the next couple of months after opening an Iowa City office late last year.

—The Daily Iowan (University of Iowa)

… a concert will raise the funds needed to rehome Monona [Wisconsin] residents displaced by fire in mid March.

—Roberta Baumann

rehoming noun

Rehoming allows your pet to transition from one home to another, bypassing the stress of a shelter.

—Sarah A. Neikam

Examples of rehome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, New York’s shelter network just does not have the capacity to hold, then rehome hundreds of thousands of potentially feral animals. —Molly Osberg, Curbed, 10 July 2024

Josh Brolin grew up with a mother who worked as a wildlife rehabilitator, aka someone who rehabilitates animals to be released into the wild or safely rehomed to an accredited zoo with the California Department of Fish and Game. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2024

The organization is looking to rehome its archives and databases and will conclude its current research projects. —News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2024

Both were originally part of Costa Cruises – also owned by parent company Carnival Corp. – before being rehomed. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024

If Colorado’s wolverine restoration moves forward, the plan calls for rehoming ideally up to 45 wolverines — 30 females and 15 males — from Canada and Alaska. —Christine Peterson, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024

Another option for rehoming your old furniture is via AptDeco, a decade-old online marketplace that features both big brand names such as Room & Board and Restoration Hardware as well as vintage pieces. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 27 July 2024

Now, the emotional drain of her work has skyrocketed amidst what feels like a never-ending cycle of taking in shelter dogs on euthanasia deadlines, preventing more animals from being left at shelters and rehoming dogs to be able to save more. —Vivian Barrett, The Arizona Republic, 2 July 2024

Nor was much interest taken in the Alberts’ dog, a German shepherd, despite the injuries to O’Keefe’s arm; the family rehomed the dog a few months after O’Keefe’s death. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above