rooftree

American

[roof-tree, roof-] / ˈrufˌtri, ˈrʊf- /

noun

the ridgepole of a roof.
the roof itself.

rooftree British

/ ˈruːfˌtriː /

noun

another name for ridgepole

"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 rooftree

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; roof, tree

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.

But even while he pondered and decided, the god of earthquake heaved a wave against him high as a rooftree and of awful gloom.

From Literature

I wanted to go to the rooftree of Maine to start my trip before turning west.

From Literature

The roof was gone--burned off; but the rooftree, charred and soot-begrimed, still ran from gable to gable.

From Project Gutenberg

Storks have been known to have abandoned the rooftree on which for years they had built their nest, and in every case the forsaken house was burnt during the summer.

From Project Gutenberg

Another is that the rooftree bends above an unbroken band, and that disease with its fell touch lingers the other side of the threshold of the little home.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023