dorm
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dorm
First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening
Explanation
A dorm — short for dormitory — is a place where college or university students live. You'll find a lot of bunk beds in most dorms. If you go away to college, you’ll probably live in a dormitory — or dorm. It's much more common for students to say dorm because it's shorter and slangier. A dorm is where students live, often with roommates. Dorms have laundry rooms and rec rooms, and it's a place where many friendships are made. Students often study or try to avoid studying in the dorm. It's their home away from home. Dorms are also called residence halls and student residences.
Vocabulary lists containing dorm
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Road Home
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
I didn’t play basketball for the USC varsity when they went 24-2 with Westphal, I played basketball in the USC Dorm League.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2021
And before that was her first web series, Dorm Diaries, a satirical look at black life at Stanford University in 2007, where she majored in African and African-American studies.
From The Guardian • Sep. 20, 2020
They moved me to Dorm A with 30 other people.
From Salon • Jul. 18, 2020
Dorm reunions and sorority brunches - usually held during the senior week between exams and graduation - were hastily arranged.
From Washington Times • Mar. 29, 2020
Dorm sports results, soap opera story lines, city politics.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
