ceiling

B1 Topic:House & Home
US /ˈsilɪŋ/ UK /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
noun Freq #4980

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    The inside surface at the top of a room.

    They painted the ceiling white to make the room feel brighter.

  2. 2
    noun

    An upper limit set on something such as a price or amount.

    The government put a ceiling on rent increases.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
2 noun · an upper limit set on... cap
More ceil
Opposites
Word family
Forms ceilingshigh-ceilinged
Derived forms ceilceilingedceilinglessceilinglikeceilingwardceilingwardsfloor-to-ceilingsubceiling

Etymology

From Middle English celing (“paneling; (bed) cover or hanging”), from celen (“to cover or panel walls”) (from Old French celer (“to conceal”)) + -ing (gerund-forming suffix). By surface analysis, ceil + -ing.

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