roof

[ roof, roof ]

/ ruf, rʊf /

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See synonyms for: roof / roofed / roofing on Thesaurus.com

Definition of roof

noun, plural roofs.

the external upper covering of a house or other building.

a frame for supporting this: an open-timbered roof.

the highest part or summit: The Himalayas are the roof of the world.

something that in form or position resembles the roof of a house, as the top of a car, the upper part of the mouth, etc.

a house.

Mining. the rock immediately above a horizontal mineral deposit.

verb (used with object)

to provide or cover with a roof.

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Idioms about roof

go through the roof,

to increase beyond all expectations: Foreign travel may very well go through the roof next year.
Also hit the roof ,Informal. to lose one's temper; become extremely angry.

raise the roof, Informal.

to create a loud noise: The applause raised the roof.
to complain or protest noisily: He'll raise the roof when he sees that bill.

Origin of roof

before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English hrōf; cognate with Dutch roef cover, cabin, Old Norse hrōf

OTHER WORDS FROM roof

rooflike, adjectivere·roof, verb (used with object)self-roofed, adjectiveun·der·roof, noun

un·roofed, adjective

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

How to use roof in a sentence

The more than 50,000 who reside in West Point live mostly in shacks made of zinc with rusted tin roofs.
Meet the Liberian Girls Beating Ebola|Abby Haglage|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Auto factories tend to sprawl horizontally over huge lots, and have flat roofs.
Charging Up|The Daily Beast|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But most of the abandoned houses, with sagging roofs and drafty walls, are just there.
Gary, Indiana Is a Serial Killer’s Playground|Justin Glawe|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rooftop solar—individual homeowners putting generating systems on their roofs—is also booming in Arizona.
Panel Discussion|The Daily Beast|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“It pretty much looks like taking a central solar plant and allocating it across 3,000 roofs,” said Rumido.
Panel Discussion|The Daily Beast|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They have no walls, for the roofs serve as everything, extending from above even to the ground.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The houses are constructed completely in the European style, with flat Italian roofs.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
But the sailors plunge into the very fire itself; entering the houses, they strive to rescue the contents until the roofs fall in.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
In most cases the roofs over these sea caves fall in, so that the structure is known as a chasm.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
The town is made up largely of cottages with thatched roofs, surrounded by the bright English flower gardens.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for roof

roof

/ (ruːf) /

noun plural roofs (ruːfs, ruːvz)

a structure that covers or forms the top of a building
(in combination)the rooftop
(as modifier)a roof garden

the top covering of a vehicle, oven, or other structurethe roof of a car

anatomy any structure that covers an organ or partthe roof of the mouth

a highest or topmost point or partMount Everest is the roof of the world

a house or other sheltera poor man's roof

mountaineering the underside of a projecting overhang

hit the roof or go through the roof informal

to get extremely angry; become furious
to rise or increase steeply

raise the roof

to create a boisterous disturbance
to react or protest heatedly

verb

(tr) to provide or cover with a roof or rooflike part

Derived forms of roof

roofer, nounroofless, adjectiverooflike, adjective

Word Origin for roof

Old English hrōf; related to Middle Dutch, Old Norse hrōf

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

Medical definitions for roof

roof

[ rōōf, ruf ]

The upper surface of an anatomical structure, especially one having a vaulted inner structure.

Other Idioms and Phrases with roof

roof

In addition to the idiom beginning with roof

roof over one's head, a

also see:

go through the roof
hit the ceiling (roof)
like a cat on hot bricks (a hot tin roof)
raise the roof

roof

Definition of roof

Idioms about roof

Origin of roof

OTHER WORDS FROM roof

Words related to roof

How to use roof in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for roof

Derived forms of roof

Word Origin for roof

Medical definitions for roof

Other Idioms and Phrases with roof