dome

1 of 2

noun

1
archaic : a stately building : mansion
2
: a large hemispherical roof or ceiling
3
: a natural formation or structure that resembles the dome or cupola of a building
4
: a form of crystal composed of planes parallel to a lateral axis that meet above in a horizontal edge like a roof
5
: an upward fold in rock whose sides dip uniformly in all directions
6
: a roofed sports stadium
7
: a person's head
domal adjective

dome

2 of 2

verb

domed; doming

transitive verb

1
: to cover with a dome
2
: to form into a dome

intransitive verb

: to swell upward or outward like a dome

Examples of dome in a Sentence

Noun the dome of the Capitol building The team's new stadium is a dome.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Central to the exhibit is a geodesic dome inspired by the work of futurist architect Buckminster Fuller. Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025 The aircraft has four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage, and its official name is unknown. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Key features include a mesh bracelet, oxalic anodized aluminum bezel ring and dial, and domed sapphire crystal. Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025 The flames are visible for miles down the city’s famous coastline, a half-moon crescent of sand that is usually domed by blue sky. The Staff Of The Morning, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dome

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, Italian, & Latin; French dôme dome, cathedral, from Italian duomo cathedral, from Medieval Latin domus church, from Latin, house; akin to Greek domos house, Sanskrit dam

First Known Use

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dome was in 1513

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dome. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

dome

1 of 2 noun
1
: a large rounded roof or ceiling shaped like half of a ball
2
: a structure or natural formation that resembles the dome of a building
rock domes
3
: a roofed sports stadium

dome

2 of 2 verb
domed; doming
1
: to cover with or as if with a dome
2
: to form into or swell upward or outward like a dome
Etymology

Noun

from French dôme "mansion, cathedral" and Italian duomo "cathedral" and Latin domus "church," from earlier Latin domus "house" — related to domestic, domicile

Medical Definition

dome

noun
: a rounded-arch element in the wave tracing in an electroencephalogram
the spike and dome pattern characteristic of absence seizures

More from Merriam-Webster on dome

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