skyscraper

American  

[skahy-skrey-per] / ˈskaɪˌskreɪ pər /

noun

1. a relatively tall building of many stories, especially one for office or commercial use.

2. Architecture. a building of exceptional height completely supported by a framework, as of girders, from which the walls are suspended, as opposed to a building supported by load-bearing walls.

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skyscraper British  

/ ˈskaɪˌskreɪpə /

noun

1. a very tall multistorey building

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Etymology

Origin of skyscraper

First recorded in 1785–95; sky + scraper

Example Sentences

Set in Chen's native Singapore, the film is a moving family drama which playfully satirises the yawning social disparities to be found in the city-state's glittering skyscrapers.

From Barron's

But the Olympic spirit is hard to find in much of Milan, where rents have soared in the past few years as skyscrapers and top restaurants multiply.

From Barron's

I parked on a scalding day in late winter at an outdoor lot in downtown L.A. surrounded by corporate skyscrapers, the sidewalks lined with housing encampments.

From Los Angeles Times

JPMorgan Chase’s board of directors gathered late last year at Morgan’s, an English pub on the 13th floor of the bank’s ritzy new skyscraper.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maybe they weren’t quite as tall as skyscrapers.

From Literature

Related Words

• high-rise