roomette

American  

[roo-met, roo-] / ruˈmɛt, rʊ- /

noun

1. a small private compartment in the sleeping car of a train, usually for one person, containing its own washroom facilities and a bed that folds against the wall when not in use.

2. any small room, especially one used solely for study or sleeping.

3. a private room connected to a box at a sports stadium or arena and used for entertaining guests.

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roomette British  

/ rʊˈmɛt, ruːˈmɛt /

noun

1. a self-contained compartment in a railway sleeping car

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Etymology

Origin of roomette

First recorded in 1935–40; room + -ette

Example Sentences

By the time we crossed into Arizona that first night, I was back in my roomette nodding off, lulled like a baby atop a washing machine.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

The last-minute price for my three-day, two-night trip was $433 in coach or $1,200 for a small private room called a roomette.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

At the purser’s desk I picked up the keys to a tiny roomette and splurged $3 for a cheery yellow sheet and scratchy bath towel that could have exfoliated an alligator.

From New York Times • May 21, 2018

She was proposing to smuggle herself into my roomette for the journey, and wanted to know when my train was leaving.

From The Guardian • Feb. 1, 2013

The most private tables are tucked into booths the size of a roomette on a train, where you can still hear whatever band happens to be playing Thursday through Saturday nights.

From Washington Post