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

• bean
• block [slang]
• head
• mazard [chiefly dialect]
• mazzard
• nob
• noddle
• noggin
• noodle
• nut [slang]
• pate
• poll

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

The blaze left Castle Howard in a state of utter destruction, with its soaring dome crumbled inwards and many of its stately rooms hollowed out. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025

Make your vehicle more visible by using the dome light and flashers. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025

Verb

To start with, Shoreham’s owner, the Long Island Lighting Company, made the containment dome too small. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

There is also more space surrounding each muffin top, allowing room for the muffins to dome up and bloom into temptingly round muffin tops. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Jan. 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