room

[room, room]

noun

1. a portion of space within a building or other structure, separated by walls or partitions from other parts.

   a dining room.

2. rooms, lodgings or quarters, as in a house or building.

3. the persons present in a room.

   The whole room laughed.

4. space or extent of space occupied by or available for something.

   The desk takes up too much room.

5. opportunity or scope for something.

   room for improvement; room for doubt.

   Synonyms: allowance, margin, provision

6. status or a station in life considered as a place.

   He fought for room at the top.

7. capacity.

   Her brain had no room for trivia.

8. Mining.,  a working area cut between pillars.

verb (used without object)

1. to occupy a room or rooms; lodge.

room

/ ruːm, rʊm /

noun

1. space or extent, esp unoccupied or unobstructed space for a particular purpose

   is there room to pass?

2. an area within a building enclosed by a floor, a ceiling, and walls or partitions

   sitting room

   dining room

3. (functioning as singular or plural) the people present in a room

   the whole room was laughing

4. (foll by for) opportunity or scope

   room for manoeuvre

5. (plural) a part of a house, hotel, etc, that is rented out as separate accommodation; lodgings

   she got rooms in town

6. a euphemistic word for lavatory

verb

1. (intr) to occupy or share a room or lodging

   where does he room?

Other Word Forms

• roomer noun
• underroom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of room¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English roum(e), Old English rūm; cognate with Dutch ruim, German Raum

Word History and Origins

Origin of room¹

Old English rūm ; related to Gothic, Old High German rūm

Idioms and Phrases

• not enough room to swing a cat
• take up space (room)

Example Sentences

Potter, a meticulous coach who thrived at Brighton on time and structure, was left with a squad so big the changing room was too small to fit them all in.

From BBC

For the first time in his career, the 6ft 6in forward realised he was not the tallest player in the dressing room after completing his club-record move from Stuttgart last month.

From BBC

"Since landing in Bali, something for us has just not felt quite right," she said in a YouTube video in July, filmed in her hotel room.

From BBC

Such clips and verses spread effortlessly across social media, where narratives about public figures can solidify within hours, often before facts are confirmed, leaving little room for nuance or investigation.

From Salon

"I wasn't singing out into the room and it felt safe. It felt like I was creating my own world there."

From BBC

Related Words

• accommodation 
• apartment 
• cabin 
• cave 
• chamber 
• cubicle 
• den 
• lodging 
• office 
• suite