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
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
Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The company is in charge of fire remediation at the complex, and Miles said conditions in Building 1, where the fire started on the roof, continue to deteriorate.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2025
Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Once the shell was complete, human workers installed the windows, doors, and roof to finish the build.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roof
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Noun
Snipers set up on a very sloped roof on a suspect barricaded in a motel.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The company is in charge of fire remediation at the complex, and Miles said conditions in Building 1, where the fire started on the roof, continue to deteriorate.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Air quality concerns related to roof construction at Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary School spurred the relocation.
—Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Once the shell was complete, human workers installed the windows, doors, and roof to finish the build.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roof
Cite this Entry
“Roof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roof. Accessed 3 Sep. 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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