dome
Americannoun
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domes
plural
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Architecture.
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a vault, having a circular plan and usually in the form of a portion of a sphere, so constructed as to exert an equal thrust in all directions.
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a domical roof or ceiling.
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a polygonal vault, ceiling, or roof.
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any covering thought to resemble the hemispherical vault of a building or room.
the great dome of the sky.
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anything shaped like a hemisphere or inverted bowl.
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(in a dam) a semidome having its convex surface toward the impounded water.
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Crystallography. a form having planes that intersect the vertical axis and are parallel to one of the lateral axes.
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Geology. upwarp.
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Also called vistadome. Railroads. a raised, glass-enclosed section of the roof of a passenger car, placed over an elevated section of seats to afford passengers a full view of scenery.
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Horology. an inner cover for the works of a watch, which snaps into the rim of the case.
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a mountain peak having a rounded summit.
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Slang. a person's head.
I wish I could get the idea into that thick dome of yours.
verb (used with object)
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domes,
present (3rd person singular)
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domed,
past participle, past
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doming
present participle
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to cover with or as if with a dome.
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to shape like a dome.
verb (used without object)
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domes,
present (3rd person singular)
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domed,
past participle, past
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doming
present participle
noun
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a hemispherical roof or vault or a structure of similar form
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something shaped like this
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crystallog a crystal form in which two planes intersect along an edge parallel to a lateral axis
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a slang word for the head
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geology
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a structure in which rock layers slope away in all directions from a central point
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another name for pericline
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verb
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to cover with or as if with a dome
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to shape like a dome
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A circular or elliptical area of uplifted rock in which the rock dips gently away, in all directions, from a central point.
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A wedge-shaped mineral crystal that has two nonparallel, similarly inclined faces that intersect along a plane of symmetry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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domesimple
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domessimple
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have domedperfect
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has domedperfect
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am domingprogressive
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are domingprogressive
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is domingprogressive
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have been domingperfect progressive
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has been domingperfect progressive
Past
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domedsimple
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had domedperfect
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was domingprogressive
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were domingprogressive
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had been domingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dome
1505–15; < Middle French dome < Italian duomo < Medieval Latin domus ( Deī ) house (of God), church; akin to timber
Explanation
A dome is a large hemispherical roof, like those seen on many capitol buildings. The Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, is a Muslim shrine with a golden dome that sits on a holy rock. In Italian, duomo is the word for church or cathedral; it comes from the Latin domus, "house." Many Italian cathedrals feature prominent domes, and eventually the word dome became synonymous with that particular architectural feature. An umbrella works because its dome shape sheds the rain efficiently.
Vocabulary lists containing dome
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Engineering - Introductory
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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 AOP now plans on recognising their achievements with a new LED dome, which will show the asteroids and their orbits.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Closer to town, you’ll find Enchanted Rock, a spectacular pink granite dome rising 1,825 feet above sea level.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
A lava dome forms when relatively thick, viscous lava accumulates around a volcanic vent rather than flowing freely across the surrounding landscape.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
In a presentation, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said the launch was delayed due to an issue with the manufacturing process for Neutron’s forward dome.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
In a mirror image above, at least forty people dangle from the ceiling by harnesses, squeegeeing off the already pristine dome ceiling.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
The residents of Drop City, a Colorado artists’ community, built domes from the curved steel tops of salvaged cars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
It had an observatory and planetarium and featured custom-built domes, specialized solar-observation telescopes, and a natural science education centre.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
But what an image: an observatory dome bubbling out of a boil of smaller domes, like an idea simmering in a crucible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
If successful, future explorers might eventually live on Mars without relying on protective domes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Both of the new domes, together, replace less than 10 percent of what the May 18, 1980 eruption—the big one—had blown away.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
We have given it the common name helmethead sea muppet, after the domed, helmet-like crest on its head.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
At the time, the Hollywood mogul and actress unveiled ambitious plans to dramatically overhaul the estate with a 27,000-square-foot, five-story riding facility featuring a domed roof and underground horse stables.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
WSJ: How are today’s domed stadiums different from those of the past?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Construction has started, with workers assembling domed arches over a staging area which will become the octagon.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Through the trees, something big and domed rose into sight.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
This means exercising the feet with toe curls and foot doming.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
I understood what was happening as I was sucked back and down under a ceiling of doming water.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 3, 2020
“I mean, you lived through so many changes. The last gasp of industrialization. Climate change remediation. The doming of the cities. Rewilding on every continent. The death of scarcity. The privacy wars. What’s it like?”
From The Verge ● Feb. 6, 2019
Spreading is hypothesized to start within a continental area with up-warping or doming related to an underlying mantle plume or series of mantle plumes.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
The saplings shuddered with every tug he made, and they all grew taller and thicker, doming inward, until they touched at the top.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
