dome

1 of 2

noun

ˈdōm 

1

: a large hemispherical roof or ceiling

2

archaic : a stately building : mansion

3

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

4

: a roofed sports stadium

5

: a person's head

6

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

7

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

domal

ˈdō-məl 

adjective

dome

2 of 2

verb

domed; doming

transitive verb

1

: to form into a dome

2

: to cover with a dome

intransitive verb

: to swell upward or outward like a dome

Synonyms of dome

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

Signs point towards the heat dome holding fairly steady across the Plains through the next two weeks before temperatures trend back towards average. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Many of the 76 rooms and suites include private terraces overlooking Gran Via with the upper floor rooms facing the ornate gold dome of the Metropolis, one of Madrid’s most famous buildings. — Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

Madrid may have grand monuments, lvish fountains, domed neoclassical buildings and Renaissance squares, yet the Spanish capital has sometimes been overshadowed by seemingly headline-grabbing cities such as Barcelona or Seville. — Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2026

The Chiefs plan to kick off their 2031 season in a brand-new, $3 billion, domed stadium to be built in west KCK. — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 1 Sep. 2026

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

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing dome

• double-dome
• heat 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