ceiling

noun

ceil·ing | \ ˈsē-liŋ

Definition of ceiling

1a : the overhead inside lining of a room The room has a high ceiling.

b : material used to ceil a wall or roof of a room

2 : something thought of as an overhanging shelter or a lofty canopy a ceiling of stars

3a : the height above the ground from which prominent objects on the ground can be seen and identified

b : the height above the ground of the base of the lowest layer of clouds when over half of the sky is obscured

4a : absolute ceiling

b : service ceiling

5 : an upper usually prescribed limit a ceiling on prices, rents, and wages

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Examples of ceiling in a Sentence

The house has low ceilings. The airplane has a ceiling of 32,000 feet.

Recent Examples on the Web

Directly overhead, suspended by wires from the ceiling, is the Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh's primitive plane, not much more than a metal box with propellers. — The Washington Post, al.com, "How did NASA put men on the moon? One harrowing step at a time," 19 June 2019 While his rivals argued, Stewart tipped his head back, put his hands in his pockets, and stared at the ceiling. — Sam Knight, The New Yorker, "Rory Stewart, the Insurgent Candidate for Prime Minister, Soars Up and Out," 19 June 2019 Someone once asked her to make a cake in the shape of a cockroach to hang from the ceiling so guests could take bites from it. — Kim Severson, New York Times, "It’s a Girl! It’s a Boy! And for the Gender-Reveal Cake, It May Be the End," 17 June 2019 There are bird decorations hanging from the ceiling, bird art on the walls, and craft cocktails. — Briana Rice, Cincinnati.com, "Here are 10 of the best LGBTQ-friendly bars in Cincinnati," 14 June 2019 On a clear day, blue sky glows like an orb on the ceiling. — Scott Craven, azcentral, "Kanye West gave $10M to Roden Crater: 6 things to know about James Turrell's Flagstaff art project," 12 June 2019 In addition to the grocery, Schumacher said the store planned to add a European soccer bar, complete with soccer scarves hanging from the ceiling and plenty of TVs. — oregonlive.com, "Southeast Portland’s new Citymaxx Food Stores scales up traditional Eastern European grocery," 11 June 2019 Its leaders built a superstore for housewares, with more than 1,500 locations that had so much merchandise that products hung from the ceiling. — Suzanne Kapner, WSJ, "Amazon Didn’t Cripple Bed Bath & Beyond. Its Own Leaders Did.," 2 June 2019 At the entrance a shimmering wave of blue material cascades from the ceiling. — The New York Review of Books, "Jenny Uglow," 23 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ceiling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.