hearth

(noun) an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built. Synonyms: fireplace, open fireplace. Examples: "The fireplace was so large you could walk inside it." "He laid a fire in the hearth and lit it." "The hearth was black with the charcoal of many fires."

(noun) home symbolized as a part of the fireplace. Synonyms: fireside. Examples: "Driven from hearth and home." "Fighting in defense of their firesides."

(noun) an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room). Synonyms: fireside. Example: "They sat on the hearth and warmed themselves before the fire."