penthouse

[ pent-hous ]

/ ˈpɛntˌhaʊs /

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See synonyms for penthouse on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pent·hous·es

[pent-hou-ziz]. /ˈpɛntˌhaʊ zɪz/.

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

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

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

Also called pent, pen·tice

[pen-tis]. /ˈpɛn tɪs/. 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.

any rooflike shelter or overhanging part.

shed roof.

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

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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; see appendant, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM penthouse

penthouselike, adjective

Words nearby penthouse

Pentelicus, Pentelikon, pentene, Penthesileia, Pentheus, penthouse, Penticton, pentimento, pentito, Pentland Firth, pentlandite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use penthouse in a sentence

Residents of Champlain Towers South were looking at a $15 million assessment to repair “major structural damage” flagged by engineers, with owners being asked to pay between roughly $80,000 for one-bedroom units to $336,000 for the penthouse.
‘The Fear Is Very Real.’ The Surfside Collapse Is Renewing Focus on Climate Change Risks|Justin Worland|July 2, 2021|Time
Twice he rode the elevator to the penthouse level and walked through an unlocked door to the roof.
One family’s harrowing escape from the collapsing condo building: ‘Run, fast!’|Brittany Shammas|July 1, 2021|Washington Post
When part of the tower fell last week, much of the penthouse apartment went with it.
One family’s harrowing escape from the collapsing condo building: ‘Run, fast!’|Brittany Shammas|July 1, 2021|Washington Post
Some of my best memories are practices with my fellow Muses in the penthouse of McCormick with the afternoon sun filtering in.
Meet the president: Annalisa Weigel ’94, ’95, SM ’00, PhD ’02|Nicole Estvanik Taylor|June 30, 2021|MIT Technology Review

In fact, he’s a record producer and label owner rich enough to own a cavernous penthouse whose rooftop pool offers a breathtaking skyline view.
Netflix’s Steamy New Drama Sex/Life Is So Bad, It’s Funny|Judy Berman|June 25, 2021|Time
Then I was the December Penthouse Pet, which is a huge honor.
Porn Stars on the Year in Porn: Drone Erotica, Belle Knox, and Wild Sex|Aurora Snow|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He's starting to sound like a schoolboy with a copy of Penthouse.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Loeb owns a $100 million penthouse on Central Park West and a $50 million yacht.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools|Zephyr Teachout|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was literally on the 18th floor in a penthouse suite and I really thought about ending it.
Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells All|Aurora Snow|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She flew first class, stayed in a luxury penthouse suite and was given money for shopping along with her pay.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It appeared to consist of a living-room and a scullery, with a patch under the skeleton of a sort of penthouse at the back.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions
Over the penthouse thus formed a piece of gauze is placed, and the cage is complete.
Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects|C. V. Riley
The penthouse, in fact, represented the principal part of its attire, there was nothing else but a little red petticoat.
East Angels|Constance Fenimore Woolson
In its middle there arose a penthouse, low and irregularly shaped like some organic outcropping of native rock.
The Brain|Alexander Blade
He lies buried—in my name—within the walls of Penthouse Prison.
Dead Man's Love|Tom Gallon

British Dictionary definitions for penthouse

penthouse

/ (ˈpɛntˌhaʊs) /

noun

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

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

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

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

Word Origin for penthouse

C14 pentis (later penthouse, by folk etymology), from Old French apentis, from Late Latin appendicium appendage, from Latin appendere to hang from; see appendix

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

penthouse

Origin of penthouse

OTHER WORDS FROM penthouse

Words nearby penthouse

Words related to penthouse

How to use penthouse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for penthouse

Word Origin for penthouse