Illustration of roof
- 1 gambrel
- 2 mansard
- 3 hip
- 4 lean-to
1
a(1)
: the cover of a building
(2)
: material used for a roof : roofing
b
: the roof of a dwelling conventionally designating the home itself
didn't have a roof over my head
they share the same roof
3
a
: the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth
b
: a covering structure of any of various parts of the body
roof of the skull
4
: something suggesting a roof: such as
a
: a canopy of leaves and branches
b
: the top over the passenger section of a vehicle
roofed; roofing; roofs
1
a
: to cover with or as if with a roof
b
: to provide with a particular kind of roof or roofing
—often used in combination
slate-roofed houses
2
: to constitute a roof over
roofer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of roof in a Sentence
Noun
the roof of a car
The roof of the old barn collapsed.
He bit into a hot slice of pizza and burned the roof of his mouth.
Verb
fed and roofed the emergency volunteers for a week
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025
Satisfied, the men secured their ropes to the top of the roof and went off the edge.
—Jake Offenhartz, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Since 1982, Rezendes and his helpers have built elaborate sets in his front yard and roof for the holidays.
—Susan Young, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roof 
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Noun
The weight of the snow that had collected atop the theater caused its flat roof to buckle, splitting it down the middle and onto the movie house’s concrete balcony.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025
Satisfied, the men secured their ropes to the top of the roof and went off the edge.
—Jake Offenhartz, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
On a 2-on-1 entry into the offensive zone, McDavid nimbly handled the kick around the sliding defenseman and then fired a sharp-angle shot from tight and roofed it.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Since 1982, Rezendes and his helpers have built elaborate sets in his front yard and roof for the holidays.
—Susan Young, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roof
Dictionary Entries Near roof
Cite this Entry
“Roof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roof. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
a
: the upper covering part of a building
b
: a place to live : home
a roof over one's head
2
: the upper boundary of the mouth
3
: something resembling a roof in form, position, or purpose
roof
2 of 2 verb1
: to cover with or as if with a roof
2
: to provide with roofing
roofer
noun
Medical Definition
plural roofs
ˈrüfs, ˈru̇fs also ˈrüvz, ˈru̇vz
1
: the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth supported largely by the palatine bones and limited anteriorly by the dental lamina and posteriorly by the uvula and upper part of the fauces
2
: a covering structure of any of various parts of the body other than the mouth
roof of the skull
roof of the dental pulp chamber
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