ceiling

[ see-ling ]

/ ˈsi lɪŋ /

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See 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.

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Idioms about ceiling

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

OTHER WORDS FROM ceiling

ceilinged, adjectivesubceiling, nounun·ceil·inged, adjectiveun·der·ceil·ing, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ceiling

ceiling , sealing

Words nearby ceiling

cefoxitin, CEGB, ceiba, ceil, ceilidh, ceiling, ceilometer, ceinture, cel, Cela, celadon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ceiling in a sentence

At some point, the skyrocketing subscriber business could hit a ceiling or investors could demand better margin growth.
‘Unstoppable innovator’: The meteoric rise of Meredith Kopit Levien, the next New York Times CEO|Steven Perlberg|August 19, 2020|Digiday
Especially interesting are prints found on the cave’s ceiling.
The challenge of dinosaur hunting in deep caves|John Pickrell|May 19, 2020|Science News For Students
Now intriguingly enough, the animation showcases a rather curious opening along the ceiling, which was actually called the compluvium.
The Roman Domus (House): Architecture and Reconstruction|Dattatreya Mandal|April 8, 2020|Realm of History
For one, developers had less incentive to build new housing if there was a ceiling placed on what they could charge.
Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Ep. 373 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|March 12, 2020|Freakonomics

T-Mobile, for instance, had a program called Binge On that let customers stream Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu without that counting toward their data-usage ceiling.
Can You Hear Me Now? (Ep. 406)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 20, 2020|Freakonomics
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
The floor-to-ceiling Texas flag, the single most imposing feature of the room, began to rise.
In Texas, Cruz, Perry Crow Over GOP Rout|Tim Mak|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What kind of advice would you give to young women to overcome that glass ceiling?
In All-Girls Schools, a Formula for Success|Bobby Blanchard|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many, especially those who come from an economically disadvantaged background, still face a glass ceiling.
In All-Girls Schools, a Formula for Success|Bobby Blanchard|October 21, 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
Both of the orator's hands swung upward and outward, and he looked intently at the ceiling.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
From above, through the ceiling, came the vibration of some machine at work, and the machine might have been the loom of time.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Poor wretches—they were afraid to refuse, yet their gorge rose at the deed, and they fired at the ceiling!
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
A man had come to stand beside it, his body screening the light of one of the lamps that hung from a rafter of the ceiling.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Even Henrietta stopped eating, looked upward at the dusty ceiling, and listened for a repetition of the sound.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose

British Dictionary definitions for ceiling

ceiling

/ (ˈsiːlɪŋ) /

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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with ceiling

ceiling

see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.

ceiling

Idioms about ceiling

Origin of ceiling

OTHER WORDS FROM ceiling

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ceiling

Words nearby ceiling

Words related to ceiling

How to use ceiling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ceiling

Word Origin for ceiling

Other Idioms and Phrases with ceiling