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Synonyms

dorm

American  
[dawrm] / dɔrm /

noun

Informal.
  1. dormitory.


dorm British  
/ dɔːm /

noun

  1. informal short for dormitory

"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

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.

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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.

Amanda Fialk, who is the chief clinical officer at The Dorm, a mental health treatment program for young people, is heartened by the increasingly open conversations happening.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2022

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