Used before a noun to describe someone who stays at home instead of going out to a job — most often to look after children. The commonest pairings by far are stay-at-home mum (or mom, in American English) and stay-at-home dad.

Used before a noun放在名詞前面 to describe用來描述 instead of going out to a job不出門去工作 someone who stays at home而留在家裡的人 — most often最常是 to look after children為了照顧小孩。 The commonest pairings by far最常見、遠遠領先的搭配 are是 stay-at-home mum全職媽媽 and和 stay-at-home dad全職爸爸； or mom, in American English美式英文則把 mum 拼成 mom。

It is the neutral, respectful term now; the older word for a woman in that position was housewife, which many people feel is dated or a little dismissive, so stay-at-home mother has largely replaced it in careful writing. Note that stay-at-home dad exists precisely because the arrangement is worth naming when the father does it — which tells you something about the assumptions built into the language.

It它 is now現在是 the neutral, respectful term中性、尊重的說法； the older word for a woman in that position以前指這種處境的女性用的字 was是 housewife家庭主婦 which many people feel很多人覺得那個字 is dated過時 or a little dismissive或有點輕視 so所以 in careful writing在謹慎的寫作裡 stay-at-home mother stay-at-home mother has largely replaced it大致上已經取代了它。 Note that注意 stay-at-home dad stay-at-home dad 這個詞 exists會存在 precisely because正是因為 when the father does it當是爸爸來做的時候 the arrangement這種安排 is worth naming值得特別命名 — which tells you something about這透露了一些 built into the language語言裡內建的 the assumptions預設。

There is a second, older use that is mildly unkind: a stay-at-home person is one who never travels, never goes anywhere, has no interest in the world outside. "He's a real stay-at-home" is a gentle criticism, and here it can also stand alone as a noun.

There is有 a second, older第二個、比較舊 that is mildly unkind、稍微不客氣的 use用法： a stay-at-home person a stay-at-home person is是 one who never travels一個從不旅行、 never goes anywhere哪裡都不去、 has no interest in the world outside對外面的世界沒興趣的人。 "He's a real stay-at-home"他真是個足不出戶的人 is是 a gentle criticism溫和的批評 and here而在這裡 it它 can also stand alone也可以單獨 as a noun當名詞用。

Since 2020 you will also meet it in the phrase stay-at-home order, meaning a government instruction to remain indoors during an emergency.

Since 2020從 2020 年起 you你 will also meet it也會遇到它 in the phrase stay-at-home order出現在 stay-at-home order 這個片語裡 meaning意思是 during an emergency緊急狀況期間 to remain indoors要大家待在室內 a government instruction的政府指示。