ceiling

[ see-ling ]

/ ˈsi lɪŋ /

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

ceftriaxone sodium, cegb, ceiba, ceil, ceilidh, ceiling, ceilometer, ceinture, cel, cela, celadon

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 forms

ceil·inged, adjectivesub·ceil·ing, nounun·ceil·inged, adjectiveun·der·ceil·ing, noun

Can be confused

ceiling sealing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for hit the 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

Culture definitions for hit the ceiling

hit the ceiling

To become extremely angry: “When Corey found out someone had stolen his CD player, he really hit the ceiling.”

Idioms and Phrases with hit the ceiling (1 of 2)

hit the ceiling

Also, hit the roof. Explode in anger, as in Jane hit the ceiling when she saw her grades, or Dad hit the roof when he didn't get his usual bonus. The first expression dates from the early 1900s; the second is a version of a 16th-century locution, up in the house roof or house-top, meaning “enraged.”

Idioms and Phrases with hit the ceiling (2 of 2)

ceiling

see glass ceiling; hit the ceiling.