Roof

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Roof, n. [OE. rof, AS. hrf top, roof; akin to D. roef cabin, Icel. hrf a shed under which ships are built or kept; cf. OS. hrst roof, Goth. hrt. Cf. Roost.].

•  The cover of any building, including the roofing (see Roofing) and all the materials and construction necessary to carry and maintain the same upon the walls or other uprights. In the case of a building with vaulted ceilings protected by an outer roof, some writers call the vault the roof, and the outer protection the roof mask. It is better, however, to consider the vault as the ceiling only, in cases where it has farther covering.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which resembles, or corresponds to, the covering or the ceiling of a house; as, the roof of a cavern; the roof of the mouth.  [1913 Webster]

  "The flowery roof
  Showered roses, which the morn repaired."  [1913 Webster]
•  The surface or bed of rock immediately overlying a bed of coal or a flat vein.  [1913 Webster]

Bell roof, French roof, etc. (Arch.) See under Bell, French, etc. -- Flat roof. (Arch.) (a) A roof actually horizontal and level, as in some Oriental buildings. (b) A roof nearly horizontal, constructed of such material as allows the water to run off freely from a very slight inclination. -- Roof plate. (Arch.) See Plate, n., 10.

Roof, v. t. 

•  To cover with a roof.  [1913 Webster]

  "I have not seen the remains of any Roman buildings that have not been roofed with vaults or arches."  [1913 Webster]
•  To inclose in a house; figuratively, to shelter.  [1913 Webster]

  "Here had we now our country's honor roofed."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Roof, n. & v.
--n. (pl. roofs or disp. rooves)
1 a the upper covering of a building, usu. supported by its walls. b the top of a covered vehicle. c the top inner surface of an oven, refrigerator, etc.
2 the overhead rock in a cave or mine etc.
3 the branches or the sky etc. overhead.
4 (of prices etc.) the upper limit or ceiling.
--v.tr.
1 (often foll. by in, over) cover with or as with a roof.
2 be the roof of.

Idiom

go through the roof colloq. (of prices etc.) reach extreme or unexpected heights. hit (or go through or raise) the roof colloq. become very angry. roof-garden a garden on the flat roof of a building. roof of the mouth the palate. a roof over one's head somewhere to live. roof-rack a framework for carrying luggage etc. on the roof of a vehicle. roof-tree the ridge-piece of a roof. under one roof in the same building. under a person's roof in a person's house (esp. with ref. to hospitality).

Derivative

roofed adj. (also in comb.). roofless adj.

Etymology

OE hrof

THESAURUS

Roof

Dymaxion house, French roof, M roof, White House, abiding place, abode, address, adobe house, ancestral halls, apex, barrack roof, bonnet, building, bulkhead, cantonment, cap, casa, ceil, ceiling, chamber, chimney corner, clerestory, cliff dwelling, coif, consulate, cork, country house, country seat, crash pad, crest, crib, crown, cupola, dacha, deanery, dome, domicile, domus, dwelling, dwelling house, dwelling place, eaves, edifice, embassy, erection, fabric, family homestead, farm, farmhouse, fireplace, fireside, foyer, gable roof, geodesic dome, habitation, hall, hat, haven, hearth, hearth and home, hearthstone, home, home place, home roof, home sweet home, homestead, hood, house, houseboat, household, housetop, ingle, inglenook, ingleside, lake dwelling, lantern, living machine, lodge, lodging, lodging place, lodgment, manor house, manse, menage, nest, overhead, pad, parsonage, paternal roof, peak, penthouse, place, place to live, plafond, prefabricated house, presidential palace, ranch house, rectory, residence, ridgepole, roof garden, roof in, roof-deck, roofage, roofing, roofpole, rooftop, rooftree, seat, shed roof, shelter, shield, shingles, skylight, skyscraper, slate roof, slates, sod house, split-level, stopper, structure, summit, surface, thatched roof, tiles, tip, toft, top, top floor, top side, topside, topsides, town house, upper side, upside, vertex, vicarage

ROGET THESAURUS

Roof

Abode

N abode, dwelling, lodging, domicile, residence, apartment, place, digs, pad, address, habitation, where one's lot is cast, local habitation, berth, diggings, seat, lap, sojourn, housing, quarters, headquarters, resiance, tabernacle, throne, ark, home, fatherland, country, homestead, homestall, fireside, hearth, hearth stone, chimney corner, inglenook, ingle side, harem, seraglio, zenana, household gods, lares et penates, roof, household, housing, dulce domum, paternal domicile, native soil, native land, habitat, range, stamping ground, haunt, hangout, biosphere, environment, ecological niche, nest, nidus, snuggery, arbor, bower, lair, den, cave, hole, hiding place, cell, sanctum sanctorum, aerie, eyrie, eyry, rookery, hive, covert, resort, retreat, perch, roost, nidification, kala jagah, bivouac, camp, encampment, cantonment, castrametation, barrack, casemate, casern, tent, building, chamber, xenodochium, tenement, messuage, farm, farmhouse, grange, hacienda, toft, cot, cabin, hut, chalet, croft, shed, booth, stall, hovel, bothy, shanty, dugout, wigwam, pen, barn, bawn, kennel, sty, doghold, cote, coop, hutch, byre, cow house, cow shed, stable, dovecote, columbary, columbarium, shippen, igloo, iglu, jacal, lacustrine dwelling, lacuslake dwelling, lacuspile dwelling, log cabin, log house, shack, shebang, tepee, topek, house, mansion, place, villa, cottage, box, lodge, hermitage, rus in urbe, folly, rotunda, tower, chateau, castle, pavilion, hotel, court, manor-house, capital messuage, hall, palace, kiosk, bungalow, casa, country seat, apartment house, flat house, frame house, shingle house, tenement house, temple, hamlet, village, thorp, dorp, ham, kraal, borough, burgh, town, city, capital, metropolis, suburb, province, country, county town, county seat, courthouse, ghetto, street, place, terrace, parade, esplanade, alameda, board walk, embankment, road, row, lane, alley, court, quadrangle, quad, wynd, close, yard, passage, rents, buildings, mews, square, polygon, circus, crescent, mall, piazza, arcade, colonnade, peristyle, cloister, gardens, grove, residences, block of buildings, market place, place, plaza, anchorage, roadstead, roads, dock, basin, wharf, quay, port, harbor, quarter, parish, assembly room, meetinghouse, pump room, spa, watering place, inn, hostel, hostelry, hotel, tavern, caravansary, dak bungalow, khan, hospice, public house, pub, pot house, mug house, gin mill, gin palace, bar, bar room, barrel house, cabaret, chophouse, club, clubhouse, cookshop, dive, exchange, grill room, saloon, shebeen, coffee house, eating house, canteen, restaurant, buffet, cafe, estaminet, posada, almshouse, poorhouse, townhouse, garden, park, pleasure ground, plaisance, demesne, cage, terrarium, doghouse, pen, aviary, barn, stall, zoo, urban, metropolitan, suburban, provincial, rural, rustic, domestic, cosmopolitan, palatial, eigner Hert ist goldes Werth, even cities have their graves, ubi libertas ibi patria, home sweet home.

Covering

N covering, cover, baldachin, baldachino, baldaquin, canopy, tilt, awning, tent, marquee, tente d'abri, umbrella, parasol, sunshade, veil (shade), shield, roof, ceiling, thatch, tile, pantile, pentile, tiling, slates, slating, leads, barrack, plafond, planchment, tiling, shed, top, lid, covercle, door, operculum, bulkhead, bandage, plaster, lint, wrapping, dossil, finger stall, coverlet, counterpane, sheet, quilt, tarpaulin, blanket, rug, drugget, housing, antimacassar, eiderdown, numdah, pillowcase, pillowslip, linoleum, saddle cloth, blanket cloth, tidy, tilpah, apishamore, integument, tegument, skin, pellicle, fleece, fell, fur, leather, shagreen, hide, pelt, peltry, cordwain, derm, robe, buffalo robe, cuticle, scarfskin, epidermis, clothing, mask, peel, crust, bark, rind, cortex, husk, shell, coat, eggshell, glume, capsule, sheath, sheathing, pod, cod, casing, case, theca, elytron, elytrum, involucrum, wrapping, wrapper, envelope, vesicle, corn husk, corn shuck, dermatology, conchology, testaceology, inunction, incrustation, superimposition, superposition, obduction, scale, veneer, facing, overlay, plate, silver plate, gold plate, copper plate, engobe, ormolu, Sheffield plate, pavement, coating, paint, varnish, plating, barrel plating, anointing, enamel, epitaxial deposition, vapor deposition, ground, whitewash, plaster, spackel, stucco, compo, cerement, ointment, covering, superimposed, overlaid, plated, cutaneous, dermal, cortical, cuticular, tegumentary, skinny, scaly, squamous, covered, imbricated, loricated, armor plated, ironclad, under cover, cowled, cucullate, dermatoid, encuirassed, hooded, squamiferous, tectiform, vaginate.