dome

1 of 2

noun

ˈdōm 

1

archaic : a stately building : mansion

2

: a large hemispherical roof or ceiling

3

: a natural formation or structure that resembles the dome or cupola of a building

4

: a form of crystal composed of planes parallel to a lateral axis that meet above in a horizontal edge like a roof

5

: an upward fold in rock whose sides dip uniformly in all directions

6

: a roofed sports stadium

7

: a person's head

domal

ˈdō-məl 

adjective

dome

2 of 2

verb

domed; doming

transitive verb

1

: to cover with a dome

2

: to form into a dome

intransitive verb

: to swell upward or outward like a dome

Synonyms

Noun

• head
• skull

Examples of dome in a Sentence

Noun

the dome of the Capitol building

The team's new stadium is a dome.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s even a design echo between the nomadic Mongolian ger — the traditional felt tent sometimes referred to as yurts — and the Martian dome prototypes being developed by the MARS-V engineering team. —Rosanna Philpott, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

Outside in the historic downtown, the imposing Mississippi County Courthouse, built over a century ago in Classical style with Ionic columns and a grand copper dome, also speaks of wealthier days. —Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Verb

Traditionally, these brioche-like loaves are domed and adorned with decorative bone shapes. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025

Not only is the glass domed, but the screen beneath it is too, creating a subtle 3D effect. —Brent Rose, Outside, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, Italian, & Latin; French dôme dome, cathedral, from Italian duomo cathedral, from Medieval Latin domus church, from Latin, house; akin to Greek domos house, Sanskrit dam

First Known Use

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dome

• double-dome
• onion dome
• pleasure dome
• salt dome

Rhymes for dome

• brome
• chrome
• comb
• combe
• crome
• foam
• gnome
• holm
• loam
• roam
• tome
• acrosome

Kids Definition

dome

1 of 2 noun

ˈdōm 

1

: a large rounded roof or ceiling shaped like half of a ball

2

: a structure or natural formation that resembles the dome of a building

rock domes

3

: a roofed sports stadium

dome

2 of 2 verb

domed; doming

1

: to cover with or as if with a dome

2

: to form into or swell upward or outward like a dome

Etymology

Noun

from French dôme "mansion, cathedral" and Italian duomo "cathedral" and Latin domus "church," from earlier Latin domus "house" — related to domestic, domicile

Medical Definition

dome

noun

ˈdōm 

: a rounded-arch element in the wave tracing in an electroencephalogram

the spike and dome pattern characteristic of absence seizures