penthouse

American  

[pent-hous] / ˈpɛntˌhaʊs /

noun

plural

penthouses

1. an apartment or dwelling on the roof of a building, usually set back from the outer walls.

2. any specially designed apartment on an upper floor, especially the top floor, of a building.

3. a structure on a roof for housing elevator machinery, a water tank, etc.

4. Also called pentice.  Also called pent.  a shed with a sloping roof, or a sloping roof, projecting from a wall or the side of a building, as to shelter a door.

5. any rooflike shelter or overhanging part.

6. shed roof.

7. Court Tennis. a corridor having a slanted roof and projecting from three walls of the court.

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penthouse British  

/ ˈpɛntˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a flat or maisonette built onto the top floor or roof of a block of flats

2. a construction on the roof of a building, esp one used to house machinery

3. a shed built against a building, esp one that has a sloping roof

4. real tennis the roofed corridor that runs along three sides of the court

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Other Word Forms

• penthouselike adjective

Etymology

Origin of penthouse

First recorded in 1520–30; alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle English pentis, from Old French apentiz, equivalent to apent, past participle of apendre “to hang against” + -iz ( French -is ), from unattested Vulgar Latin -ātīcium, noun use of neuter of unattested -ātīcius, equivalent to Latin -āt(us) past participle suffix + -īcius adjective suffix; appendant, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

As the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” plays, the then-incoming first lady jets from her Florida mansion to her New York City penthouse.

From The Wall Street Journal

The penthouse—bookable for $50,000 a night—is part of Four Seasons Yachts, a new luxury cruise line from Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal

NEW YORK—The penthouse atop the Metropolitan Tower on West 57th Street offers proximity to Central Park and has two bedrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal

The most expensive penthouses in the Bugatti Residences By Binghatti building will include large, private lifts for the owner's cars, so they can park them inside their apartments.

From BBC

We live in a spacious, modern penthouse apartment with a large terrace that overlooks a river and has beautiful views of the distant mountains.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• co-op
• condo
• condominium
• cooperative
• flat
• suite