roof
n. · v.-
1 top of a building (n.) A2 Elementarythe outside part that covers the top of a building or house.
the external upper covering of a building, designed to provide protection against the elements.
ExampleThe rain was hitting the roof so loudly that we couldn't hear the television.
ExampleThe architect specified a slate roof to ensure the new extension matched the aesthetic of the original Victorian manor.
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2 top of a vehicle (n.) A2 Elementarythe top part of a car, bus, or train.
the upper surface of a vehicle, often used for storage or structural integrity.
ExampleWe strapped our bicycles to the roof of the car before driving to the mountains.
ExampleThe convertible features a retractable hardtop roof that can be lowered in under twenty seconds while the vehicle is in motion.
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3 upper part of a cavity (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe top inside surface of something, like your mouth or a cave.
the interior upper surface of a hollow structure or anatomical cavity.
ExampleHe burned the roof of his mouth because the pizza was too hot.
ExampleThe explorers marvelled at the stalactites hanging from the roof of the limestone cavern, some of which reached nearly to the floor.
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4 mining/geology (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Sciencethe rock layer directly above a tunnel or a layer of coal.
the rock layer immediately overlying a mineral seam or underground gallery.
ExampleThe miners had to install extra supports to keep the roof from falling.
ExampleGeological surveys indicated that the shale roof above the coal seam was unstable, necessitating a change in the extraction method.
- overburden
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5 to provide a cover (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto build or put a roof on a building.
to cover a structure with a roof; often used in the passive voice to describe a finished building.
ExampleThe workers finished roofing the new house just before the winter started.
ExampleThe stadium is roofed with a translucent material that allows natural light to reach the grass while protecting spectators from rain.
UsageOften used as a past participle or in the passive voice.
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”).
From Middle English rofen, roven (“to roof”), from the noun (see above).