dorm
Americannoun
-
dorms
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dorm
First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening
Explanation
A dorm — short for dormitory — is a place where college or university students live. You'll find a lot of bunk beds in most dorms. If you go away to college, you’ll probably live in a dormitory — or dorm. It's much more common for students to say dorm because it's shorter and slangier. A dorm is where students live, often with roommates. Dorms have laundry rooms and rec rooms, and it's a place where many friendships are made. Students often study or try to avoid studying in the dorm. It's their home away from home. Dorms are also called residence halls and student residences.
Vocabulary lists containing dorm
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Road Home
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The criminal complaint alleges that on 21 September, an Ole Miss student was found dead in his dorm room.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Winterich conducted an experiment with college students moving out of dorm rooms.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
I watched the carnage from an NYU dorm room, having just moved to the city to start my freshman year of college.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The defensive backs bonded on the field before and during practices and while playing card games in their dorm rooms during camp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
She said she wouldn’t give me her notes but that we could study together, so after class I followed her to her dorm room.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
It’s also a good way to get daily exercise walking or jogging up the hill beyond school dorms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Rec centers were revamped with climbing walls and lazy rivers; dorms gave way to apartment lofts with expansive lounges; campus coffee bars were established with national brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
In a documentary capturing the band's early days, external, the trainees were berated for posting photos from their dorms on social media.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
It has sold property, rented out dorms, trimmed a third of its faculty, cut courses and about doubled its endowment withdrawals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
After I handed over the kitten, I ran back to the dorms and cried for hours.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
