roof

¹roof

noun \ˈrüf, ˈru̇f\

: the cover or top of a building, vehicle, etc.

: the top of the inside of a tunnel, cave, etc.

: the top of the inside of your mouth

plural roofs \ˈrüfs, ˈru̇fs also ˈrüvz, ˈru̇vz\

Full Definition of ROOF

1

a (1) :  the cover of a building (2) :  material used for a roof :  roofing

b :  the roof of a dwelling conventionally designating the home itself <didn't have a roof over my head> <they share the same roof>

2

a :  the highest point :  summit

b :  an upper limit :  ceiling

3

a :  the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth

b :  a covering structure of any of various parts of the body <roof of the skull>

4

:  something suggesting a roof: as

a :  a canopy of leaves and branches

b :  the top over the passenger section of a vehicle

— roofed \ˈrüft, ˈru̇ft\ adjective

— roof·less \ˈrü-fləs, ˈru̇-\ adjective

— roof·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— through the roof

:  to an extremely or excessively high level <prices went through the roof>

Fun trivia: Hipster? Rap? 10 Current-Sounding
Words That Aren't So New »

Examples of ROOF

1. the roof of a car
2. The roof of the old barn collapsed.
3. He bit into a hot slice of pizza and burned the roof of his mouth.

Illustration of ROOF

Origin of ROOF

Middle English, from Old English hrōf; akin to Old Norse hrōf roof of a boathouse and perhaps to Old Church Slavic stropŭ roof

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to ROOF

Synonyms

awning, ceiling, cover, canopy, tent

Related Words

dome, marquee, pavilion; arbor, bower, pergola; screen, shade, shelter, shield, sunshade, umbrella; canvas (also canvass), fly

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Rhymes with ROOF

goof, hoof, kloof, poof, pouf, proof, spoof, woof

²roof

verb

: to cover (something, such as a building) with a roof

Full Definition of ROOF

transitive verb

1

a :  to cover with or as if with a roof

b :  to provide with a particular kind of roof or roofing —often used in combination <slate-roofed houses>

2

:  to constitute a roof over

— roof·er noun

Examples of ROOF

1. <fed and roofed the emergency volunteers for a week>

First Known Use of ROOF

15th century

Related to ROOF

Synonyms

accommodate, bestow, billet, bivouac, board, bunk, camp, chamber, domicile, encamp, harbor, lodge, put up, quarter, house, room, shelter, take in

Related Words

ensconce, home, roost, secure, shed, stable, tent; barrack; bed (down)

Near Antonyms

eject, evict

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

roof

noun \ˈrüf, ˈru̇f\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural roofs \ˈrüfs, ˈru̇fs also ˈrüvz, ˈru̇vz\

Medical Definition of ROOF

1

: the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth supported largely by the palatine bones and limited anteriorly by the dental lamina and posteriorly by the uvula and upper part of the fauces

2

: a covering structure of any of various parts of the body other than the mouth <roof of the skull> <roof of the dental pulp chamber>

roof

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Covering of the top of a building. Roofs have been constructed in a wide variety of forms—flat, pitched, vaulted, domed, or in combinations—as dictated by regional, technical, and aesthetic considerations. Thatched roofs, usually sloping, were the earliest type and are still used in rural Africa and elsewhere. Flat roofs have historically been used in arid climates where drainage of water off the roof is not important, as in the Middle East and the southwestern U.S. They came into more widespread use in the 19th century, when new waterproof roofing materials and the use of structural steel and concrete made them more practical. Sloping roofs come in many different varieties. The simplest is the lean-to (or shed) roof, which has only one slope. A roof with two slopes that form a triangle at each end is called a gable roof. A hipped (or hip) roof has sloping sides and ends meeting at inclined projecting angles called hips. The gambrel roof has two slopes on each of its two sides, the upper being less steep than the lower. The mansard roof has two slopes on all four sides, a shallower upper part and a steeper lower part. See also hammer-beam roof.