/ hɑːθ; NAmE hɑːrθ/ noun
1.
the floor at the bottom of a fireplace (= the space for a fire in the wall of a room) ; the area in front of this :
A log fire roared in the open hearth.
The cat dozed in its favourite spot on the hearth.
—picture at fireplace
2.
( literary ) home and family life :
a longing for hearth and home
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English heorth , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch haard and German Herd .