weather house

weather house (plural weather houses)

1. A mechanical contrivance in the form of a house, which indicates changes in atmospheric conditions by the appearance or retirement of toy images.

   Synonym: weather box

   • 1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson;  […], →OCLC:

     Peace to the artist whose ingenious thought / Devised the weather house, that useful toy!