ceiling

[see-ling]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ceiling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the overhead interior surface of a room.

the top limit imposed by law on the amount of money that can be charged or spent or the quantity of goods that can be produced or sold.

Aeronautics.

the maximum altitude from which the earth can be seen on a particular day, usually equal to the distance between the earth and the base of the lowest cloud bank.
Also called absolute ceiling.the maximum altitude at which a particular aircraft can operate under specified conditions.

Meteorology. the height above ground level of the lowest layer of clouds that cover more than half of the sky.

a lining applied for structural reasons to a framework, especially in the interior surfaces of a ship or boat.

Also called ceiling piece. Theater. the ceiling or top of an interior set, made of cloth, a flat, or two or more flats hinged together.

the act or work of a person who makes or finishes a ceiling.

vaulting, as in a medieval church.

Idioms

hit the ceiling, Informal. to become enraged: When he saw the amount of the bill, he hit the ceiling.

Origin of ceiling

1350–1400, for def 7; Middle English; see ceil, -ing¹

Related formsceil·inged, adjectivesub·ceil·ing, nounun·ceil·inged, adjectiveun·der·ceil·ing, noun

Can be confusedceiling sealing

ceil

[seel]

verb (used with object)

to overlay (the ceiling of a building or room) with wood, plaster, etc.

to provide with a ceiling.

Origin of ceil

1400–50; late Middle English celen to cover, to panel < ?

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ceiling

beam, plaster, roof, top, covert, dome, canopy, groin, timber, roofing, housetop, baldachin, record, superiority, plafond

Examples from the Web for ceiling

Contemporary Examples of ceiling

Fourteen years on, the wooden stairs and ceiling are still charred, and the walls are studded with clusters of bullet holes.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
He grasps the phone in his capable hand, outstretches his long arm toward the ceiling, and angles it down just so.
The Ugly Truth About Cory Booker, New Jersey’s Golden Boy
Olivia Nuzzi
October 20, 2014
The nuptials reportedly took place under a ceiling of rose petals, surrounded by 100 or more of their close friends and family.
After the Wedding: George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in Venice
Barbie Latza Nadeau
September 28, 2014
Paper flags of countries that have fought for freedom hang on strings from the ceiling like nationalist Christmas lights.
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality
Noah Caldwell
September 18, 2014
It was similarly painted and pasted with historical figures covering the walls and ceiling.
On the Road With Kesey's (Drug-Free) Acid Test
Nina Strochlic
August 27, 2014

Historical Examples of ceiling

They pass up the church-aisle, and raise their eyes to the ceiling.
The New Adam and Eve (From "Mosses From An Old Manse")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
She raised her blue eyes toward the ceiling in a naive rapture.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Mrs Verloc, on her back, and staring at the ceiling, made a remark.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
His eyes ran over the walls, took in the ceiling, noted the floor—all in a moment.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Mr Pecksniff looked up to the ceiling, and clasped his hands in rapture.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for ceiling

ceiling

noun

the inner upper surface of a room

an upper limit, such as one set by regulation on prices or wages
(as modifier)ceiling prices

the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climb measured under specified conditionsSee also service ceiling, absolute ceiling

meteorol the highest level in the atmosphere from which the earth's surface is visible at a particular time, usually the base of a cloud layer

a wooden or metal surface fixed to the interior frames of a vessel for rigidity

Word Origin for ceiling

C14: of uncertain origin

ceil

verb (tr)

to line (a ceiling) with plaster, boarding, etc

to provide with a ceiling

Word Origin for ceil

C15 celen, perhaps back formation from ceiling

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

Word Origin and History for ceiling

mid-14c., celynge, "act of paneling a room," noun formed (with -ing) from Middle English verb ceil "put a cover or ceiling over," later "cover (walls) with wainscoting, panels, etc." (early 15c.); probably from Middle French celer "to conceal," also "cover with paneling" (12c.), from Latin celare (see cell). Probably influenced by Latin caelum "heaven, sky" (see celestial).

Extended to the paneling itself from late 14c. The meaning "top surface of a room" is attested by 1530s. Figurative sense "upper limit" is from 1934. Colloquial figurative phrase hit the ceiling "lose one's temper, get explosively angry" attested by 1908; earlier it meant "to fail" (by 1900, originally U.S. college slang). Glass ceiling in the figurative sense of "invisible barrier that prevents women from advancing" in management, etc., is attested from 1988.

Idioms and Phrases with ceiling

ceiling

see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.