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roof

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈɹuf// UK //ɹˈuːf// roof Archaic General-service Slang

n. the structure that covers the top of a building or vehicle. It protects the inside from rain, sun, and wind.

n. the external upper covering of a building, vehicle, or other structure. Often used figuratively to refer to the highest limit of a price or value.


SIMPLE

The rain is leaking through the roof of the house.

CONTEXTUAL

The workers spent the entire afternoon repairing the damaged tiles on the roof after the storm passed.

COMPLEX

Architects must consider both the weight of the materials and the local climate when designing a roof that can withstand heavy snowfall and high winds.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English rofen, roven (“to roof”), from the noun (see above).

Usage

Commonly used in the idiom 'hit the roof' to describe becoming very angry.

Pitfall

The cat is in the roofThe cat is on the roofUse 'on' for the exterior surface of the roof; 'in' would imply the cat is inside the attic or the structure itself.

Idioms6 entries

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