English Explanatory Dictionary

roof

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The external covering at the top of a building.
  2. The top external level of a building.
  3. The upper part of a cavity.
  4. The surface or bed of rock immediately overlying a bed of coal or a flat vein.
  5. An overhanging rock wall.
  6. A hat.
verb
  1. To cover or furnish with a roof.
  2. To traverse buildings by walking or climbing across their roofs.
  3. To put into prison, to bird.
  4. To shelter as if under a roof.
name
  1. A Chinese constellation located near Aquarius and Pegasus, one of the 28 lunar mansions and part of the larger Black Turtle.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ɹuːf/ /ɹʊf/ en-us-roof.ogg en-us-roof2.ogg en-uk-roof.ogg En-ca-roof.ogg /ɹʉf/

Word forms

roof roofs rooves roofing roofed

Etymology

From Middle English rof, from Old English hrōf (“roof, ceiling; top, summit; heaven, sky”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōfą (“roof”). Cognate with Scots ruif (“roof, ceiling”), Dutch roef (“cabin on a boat”), Icelandic hróf (“shed”), Irish cró (“pen, barn, cabin”), Proto-Slavic *stropъ (“roof, ceiling”). Compare Faroese rógv (“something high up”).

Synonyms

rooftop tect thatch ceiling

Derived words

barrel roof blow the roof off built-up roof burn the roof butterfly roof catslide roof coach roof curb roof deck roof deroof disroof ecoroof family roof fix the roof while the sun is shining French roof gable roof gambrel roof green roof hammer beam roof hip roof hipped roof hit the roof house-roof Hutton Roof lantern roof like a cat on a hot tin roof low-slope roof mansard roof moonroof moon roof M roof nonroof overroof pavilion roof peaked roof pent roof pitched roof protected membrane roof pyramid hip roof pyramid roof raise the roof reroof roofage roof assembly roofball roofbeam roofbolt roofbox roof-brain chatter roof comb roof curb roof deck roofful roof garden roof knocking roofless rooflet roof light rooflike roofline
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