penthouse

[ pent-hous ]
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noun,plural pent·hous·es [pent-hou-ziz]. /ˈpɛntˌhaʊ zɪz/.
  1. an apartment or dwelling on the roof of a building, usually set back from the outer walls.

  2. any specially designed apartment on an upper floor, especially the top floor, of a building.

  1. a structure on a roof for housing elevator machinery, a water tank, etc.

  2. Also called pent, pen·tice [pen-tis]. /ˈpɛn tɪs/. a shed with a sloping roof, or a sloping roof, projecting from a wall or the side of a building, as to shelter a door.

  3. any rooflike shelter or overhanging part.

  4. Court Tennis. a corridor having a slanted roof and projecting from three walls of the court.

Origin of penthouse

1
First recorded in 1520–30; alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle English pentis, from Old French apentiz, equivalent to apent, past participle of apendre “to hang against” + -iz (French -is ), from unattested Vulgar Latin -ātīcium, noun use of neuter of unattested -ātīcius, equivalent to Latin -āt(us) past participle suffix + -īcius adjective suffix; see appendant, -ate1

Other words from penthouse

  • penthouselike, adjective

Words Nearby penthouse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use penthouse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for penthouse

penthouse

/ (ˈpɛntˌhaʊs) /


noun
  1. a flat or maisonette built onto the top floor or roof of a block of flats

  2. a construction on the roof of a building, esp one used to house machinery

  1. a shed built against a building, esp one that has a sloping roof

  2. real tennis the roofed corridor that runs along three sides of the court

Origin of penthouse

1
C14 pentis (later penthouse, by folk etymology), from Old French apentis, from Late Latin appendicium appendage, from Latin appendere to hang from; see appendix

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012