cockloft

noun

cock·​loft ˈkäk-ˌlȯft How to pronounce cockloft (audio)
: a small garret

Examples of cockloft in a Sentence

the ski chalet features additional sleeping quarters in its cockloft, which is accessible through a pull-down ladder
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Update City box 341 - 109 & 111 Chestnut St. Fire extended into the cockloft of both buildings. Bailey Allen, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2023 The fire was found in an apartment on the sixth floor of the building and quickly spread to the area between the apartment ceiling and the roof, known as the cockloft, according to the FDNY. Amanda Jackson and Rob Frehse, CNN, 7 Apr. 2021 In a balloon-frame structure, a fire that starts in the basement and gets into the chase space can run all the way to the cockloft—the cramped, unusable space between the topmost ceiling of a building and the roof—without any fire-stop in between. Nathaniel Penn, Popular Mechanics, 3 June 2019 When the fire reaches the cockloft, the top of the roof explodes and shoots out flames. Nathaniel Penn, Popular Mechanics, 3 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

probably from cock entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cockloft was circa 1580

Dictionary Entries Near cockloft

Cite this Entry

“Cockloft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockloft. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

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