roof

A2 Topic:Architecture & Buildings

US /ɹuːf/ UK /ɹuːf/ See IPA manual

Freq #1780

Meanings

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

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

verb
To put a roof on a building.

They roofed the new shed with metal sheets.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

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

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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gable roof
a roof with two slopes meeting along a ridge and triangular end walls

Noun + noun

Idioms (2)

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Proverbs (1)

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Compromise makes a good umbrella but a poor roof

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”).

rof Middle English hrōf Old English *hrōfą Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Architecture & Buildings Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# roof

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ɹuːf/
**IPA (UK):** /ɹuːf/
**Frequency rank:** 1780

## Meanings
1. The covering on top of a building that protects it from rain and weather.
2. The top inner surface of a space, such as a cave or the mouth.
3. To put a roof on a building.

## Examples
- The storm tore part of the roof off the house.
- The tongue touches the roof of the mouth to make certain sounds.
- They roofed the new shed with metal sheets.

## Derived Forms
- deroof
- disroof
- ecoroof
- house-roof
- moonroof
- nonroof
- overroof
- reroof
- roof-plate
- roofage
- roofball
- roofbeam

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: rof
- Root: hrōf
- Root: *hrōfą

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Roof comes 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”). Modern senses include the covering on top of a building that protects it from rain and weather. and the top inner surface of a space, such as a cave or the mouth.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as deroof, disroof, ecoroof, house-roof, moonroof, and nonroof.

## Topics
- Architecture & Buildings
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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roof

Meanings

Verb forms

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Appears in

Phrases (1)

Idioms (2)

Proverbs (1)

Etymology

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