US /ɹuːf/ UK /ɹuːf/
noun verb Freq #1780

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    The covering on top of a building that protects it from rain and weather.

    The storm tore part of the roof off the house.

  2. 2
    noun

    The top inner surface of a space, such as a cave or the mouth.

    The tongue touches the roof of the mouth to make certain sounds.

  3. 3
    verb

    To put a roof on a building.

    They roofed the new shed with metal sheets.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · the covering on top of a... rooftop
2 noun · the top inner surface of a... ceiling
Word family
Forms roofedroofingrooflessroofsroovesunroofed
Derived forms deroofdisroofecoroofhouse-roofmoonroofnonroofoverroofreroofroof-plateroofageroofballroofbeam

Etymology

From Middle English rof, from Old English hrōf (“roof, ceiling; top, summit; heaven, sky”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōfą (“roof”). Cognate with Scots ruif (“roof, ceiling”), Dutch roef (“cabin on a boat”), Icelandic hróf (“shed”), Irish cró (“pen, barn, cabin”), Proto-Slavic *stropъ (“roof, ceiling”). Compare Faroese rógv (“something high up”).

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Topics

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