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Inflections of 'roof ' (n ): npl : roofs
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026 roof /ruf, rʊf/USA pronunciation
n. [ countable ]
the outside, upper covering of a building.
something that covers like a roof, such as the top of a car.
(used to refer to a whole house):They lived under the same roof for years.
v. [ ~ + object]
to provide or cover with a roof.
Idioms
Idioms, go through the roof :
(esp. of costs) to increase quickly and surprisingly:The cost of improvements has gone through the roof.
Also, hit the roof. to lose one's temper:She'll hit the roof when she hears how much we spent.
roof•er , n. [ countable ]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026 roof
(ro̅o̅f, rŏŏf ),USA pronunciation n., pl. roofs, v.
n.
the external upper covering of a house or other building.
a frame for supporting this:an open-timbered roof.
the highest part or summit:The Himalayas are the roof of the world.
something that in form or position resembles the roof of a house, as the top of a car, the upper part of the mouth, etc.
a house.
Mining the rock immediately above a horizontal mineral deposit.
go through the roof :
to increase beyond all expectations:Foreign travel may very well go through the roof next year.
Also, hit the roof , [ Informal.] to lose one's temper; become extremely angry.
raise the roof , [ Informal.]
to create a loud noise:The applause raised the roof.
to complain or protest noisily:He'll raise the roof when he sees that bill.
v.t.
to provide or cover with a roof.
bef. 900; Middle English (noun, nominal); Old English hrōf ; cognate with Dutch roef cover, cabin, Old Norse hrōf
roof′ like′ , adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
roof /ruːf / n ( pl roofs /ruːfs ; ruːvz / ) a structure that covers or forms the top of a building (in combination ) : the rooftop (as modifier ) : a roof garden the top covering of a vehicle, oven, or other structure : the roof of a car any structure that covers an organ or part : the roof of the mouth a highest or topmost point or part : Mount Everest is the roof of the world a house or other shelter : a poor man's roof hit the roof , go through the roof ⇒ informal to get extremely angry; become furious vb (transitive ) to provide or cover with a roof or rooflike part Etymology: Old English hrōf ; related to Middle Dutch, Old Norse hrōf ˈroofer n ˈroofless adj
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026 ga′ ble roof′,
Architecture a roof sloping downward in two parts at an angle from a central ridge, so as to leave a gable at each end. See illus. at roof.
ga′ ble-roofed′ , adj.
'roof ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):