Illustration of roof
- 1 gambrel
- 2 mansard
- 3 hip
- 4 lean-to
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
living under my roof [=in my house]
didn't have a roof over my head[=didn't have any place to live]
They all live under the same roof. [=in the same house]
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: such as
a
: a canopy of leaves and branches
b
: the top over the passenger section of a vehicle
roofed; roofing; roofs
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
roofer
noun
Examples of roof in a Sentence
Noun
the roof of a car
The roof of the old barn collapsed.
He bit into a hot slice of pizza and burned the roof of his mouth.
Verb
fed and roofed the emergency volunteers for a week
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
There were no signs of fire or smoke after the helicopter crashed through the roof, Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Matt Oxendine told reporters.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Kelsey Neubauer,liz Knueven, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Gutter downspouts or roof runoff from clogged gutters can quickly create a soggy spot that will last for days.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roof
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Noun
The money won’t address recent roof leaks, either, which canceled multiple events this year.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
There were no signs of fire or smoke after the helicopter crashed through the roof, Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Matt Oxendine told reporters.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The ShieldPlatinum increases coverage limits and adds microwaves, ceiling fans, icemakers and roof leak repairs.
—Kelsey Neubauer,liz Knueven, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Gutter downspouts or roof runoff from clogged gutters can quickly create a soggy spot that will last for days.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roof
Cite this Entry
“Roof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roof. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
a
: the upper covering part of a building
b
: a place to live : home
a roof over one's head
2
: the upper boundary of the mouth
3
: something resembling a roof in form, position, or purpose
roof
2 of 2 verb1
: to cover with or as if with a roof
2
: to provide with roofing
roofer
noun
Medical Definition
plural roofs
ˈrüfs, ˈru̇fs also ˈrüvz, ˈru̇vz
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
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