ceiling
[see-ling]
- 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.
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- hit the ceiling, Informal. to become enraged: When he saw the amount of the bill, he hit the ceiling.
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Origin of ceiling
ceil
[seel]
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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. 2018
Examples from the Web for ceiling
Contemporary Examples
Fourteen years on, the wooden stairs and ceiling are still charred, and the walls are studded with clusters of bullet holes.
He grasps the phone in his capable hand, outstretches his long arm toward the ceiling, and angles it down just so.
The nuptials reportedly took place under a ceiling of rose petals, surrounded by 100 or more of their close friends and family.
Paper flags of countries that have fought for freedom hang on strings from the ceiling like nationalist Christmas lights.
It was similarly painted and pasted with historical figures covering the walls and ceiling.
Historical Examples
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 LawMarvin Dana
Mrs Verloc, on her back, and staring at the ceiling, made a remark.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
His eyes ran over the walls, took in the ceiling, noted the floor—all in a moment.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
Mr Pecksniff looked up to the ceiling, and clasped his hands in rapture.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
ceiling
- 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
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Word Origin
C14: of uncertain origin
ceil
- to line (a ceiling) with plaster, boarding, etc
- to provide with a ceiling
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Word Origin
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
n.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with ceiling
ceiling
see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.