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.

Nearby words

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
"I certainly don't spend my whole time lying on my back looking at the ceiling," she answered rather brusquely.
The Limit|Ada Leverson
I was too frightened to move for several minutes, but when I looked up the ceiling was back in place as if nothing had touched it.
Seeing Things at Night|Heywood Broun
He went on with his work of making a hole large enough in the ceiling to let himself through to the room beneath.
Warriors of Old Japan and Other Stories|Yei Theodora Ozaki
The ceiling and the walls, as you will observe, are covered with names.
Summer Days in Shakespeare Land|Charles G. Harper
Stubbs settled further back in his chair and studied the ceiling.
The Web of the Golden Spider|Frederick Orin Bartlett

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

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.

ceiling

noun

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of ceiling

ceil

verb (used with object)

Origin of ceil

Examples from the Web for ceiling

ceiling

noun

Word Origin for ceiling

ceil

verb (tr)

Word Origin for ceil

ceiling

ceiling