room

noun, verb, adj and 1 more — 20 senses

room

noun

UK /ɹʊm/ · US /ɹum/

Etymology

From Middle English roum (“room, space”), from Old English rūm (“room, space”), from Proto-West Germanic *rūm (“room”), from Proto-Germanic *rūmą (“room”), from Proto-Indo-European *(H)rewH- (“to root; to rip, tear”), from *Hrew- (“to tear out, open”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian rüm (“room, space”), Saterland Frisian and Low German Ruum (“room, space”), Dutch ruim (“open space; cargo hold”), German and Luxembourgish Raum (“room, space”), Vilamovian raojm (“room”), Danish and Swedish rum (“room, space”), Faroese and Icelandic rúm (“space, room”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk rom (“room, space”), Gothic 𐍂𐌿𐌼 (rum, “room, space”); also Irish rúsc (“bark”), Manx roost (“bark; peel, rind”), Scottish Gaelic rùsg (“rind; bark; fleece; shell”), Welsh rhisgl (“bark”), Latin rūs (“country, fields, lands; estate, farm; village”), Ancient Greek ὀρύσσω (orússō), ὀρύττω (orúttō, “to dig”), Latvian raut (“to pull with force”), Lithuanian rauti (“to grub, pull”), Belarusian рыць (rycʹ, “to dig”), Bulgarian ри́я (ríja, “to excavate”), Czech rýt (“to dig; to engrave”), Polish ryć (“to dig”), Russian рыть (rytʹ, “to dig; to burrow, mine”), Slovak ryť (“to dig; to engrave”), Slovene riti (“to dig”), Ukrainian ри́ти (rýty, “to dig, excavate”), Central Kurdish ڕێو (rêw, “public hair”), Tocharian A kärpi (“raw, rough; common”), Tocharian B kärpiye (“raw, rough; common”), Sanskrit लोमन् (loman), रोमन् (roman, “body hair; down, wool”). More at rural. Doublet of Raum, a surname from German. The word superficially appears to be an exception to the Great Vowel Shift, which might have produced the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/, but the retention of Middle English /uː/ before /m/ is regular. In fact, /aʊ/ does not occur before non-coronal consonants in Standard Modern English native vocabulary. Some dialects did undergo diphthongization in such a position and the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/ occurs, for example, in Lancashire.

15 senses
  1. 1An opportunity or scope (to do something).
  2. 2Space for something, or to carry out an activity.
  3. 3A particular portion of space.
  4. 4Sufficient space for or to do something.
  5. 5A space between the timbers of a ship's frame.
  6. 6A place; a stead.
  7. 7A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a…
  8. 8(One's) bedroom.
  9. 9A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings.
  10. 10The people in a room.
  11. 11An area for working in a coal mine.
  12. 12A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage.
  13. 13An IRC or chat room.
  14. 14A place or position in society; office; rank; post…
  15. 15A quantity of furniture sufficient to furnish one room.
1

Archaic An opportunity or scope (to do something).

  • Thou lorde whiche knowest the hertes of all men, shewe whether thou hast chosen of these two, that the one maye take the roume of this ministracion, and apostleshippe from the which Judas by transgression fell, that he myght goo to his awne place.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:
  • Nor shalt thou give me room to doubt whether it be necessity or love, that inspires this condescending impulse.1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:
2

Space for something, or to carry out an activity.

  • He explains they have enough room to stand and lie down, points out the "little cup to brush our teeth", and the place where they pray.2010 August 27, Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian:
3

Archaic A particular portion of space.

  • If he have but twelve pence in his purse, he will give it for the best room in a playhouse.1614, Thomas Overbury, Characters:
  • When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:8:
4

Figuratively Sufficient space for or to do something.

  • There was no prince in the empire who had room for such an alliance.1716 March 12 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 21. Thursday, March 2. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
  • There are major disagreements within the Coalition and politicians always want to retain room for manoeuvre.2010 September 12, Roger Bootle, The Telegraph:
5

Nautical, Transport A space between the timbers of a ship's frame.

6

Obsolete A place; a stead.

  • For this purpose I have shown that no acquisitions of guilt can compensate the loss of that solid inward comfort of mind, which is the sure companion of innocence and virtue; nor can in the least balance the evil of that horror and anxiety which, in their room, guilt introduces into our bosoms.1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
  • A ram was accepted as a vicarious sacrifice in room of the royal victim.1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, 2nd edition, volume 2, page 37:
7

A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling.

  • Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the room.1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
  • He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
8

With possessive pronoun (One's) bedroom.

  • Go to your room!
  • She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
1 more example
  • ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
9

In plural A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings.

10

Metonymically, Usually The people in a room.

  • The room was on its feet.
  • He was good at reading rooms.
1 more example
  • It was fun to watch her work the room.
11

Business, Mining An area for working in a coal mine.

12

Caving, Hobbies, Lifestyle A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage.

13

Internet An IRC or chat room.

  • Some users may not be able to access the AOL room.
  • Here in the room we are as one / Together you and me, together you and me / Hours connect / As we switch on2000, “My Internet Girl”, performed by Aaron Carter:
14

A place or position in society; office; rank; post, sometimes when vacated by its former occupant.

  • When ſhee that rules in Rhamnis golden gates, […] Shall make me ſolely Emperour of Aſia, Then ſhall your meeds and vallours be aduaunſt To roomes of honour and Nobilitie.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:
  • Let Bianca take her sister's room.c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
2 more examples
  • When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 2:22:
  • Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven.1848, William Tyndale, edited by Henry Walter, Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures:
15

A quantity of furniture sufficient to furnish one room.

  • “I understand you need some furniture and can’t get no credit.” I liked to fell over. He say, “I’ll give you all the credit you want, but you got to pay the interest on it.” I told him, “Give me three rooms worth and charge whatever you want.”1985, August Wilson, Fences:
Synonyms
elbow room, legroom, space, chamber, quarters, rm, room
Derived terms
453 terms800-pound gorilla in the room, adult in the room, Ames room, anger room, anteroom, anti-room, Arizona room, art room, assembly room, assume room temperature, audit room, AV room, baby elephant in the room, back room, backroom, Backrooms, bagroom, balance room, ballroom, ball-room, bandroom, barnroom, barrack-room lawyer, barracks room lawyer, bar room, barroom, bathroom, bath room, bathroomette, bedroom, bed-room, bed room, bed-sitting room, big blue room, big room, big room house, billiard-room, billiard room, billiards room, black room, blue room, boardroom, board-room, board room, boiler room, bookroom, boot room, boxroom, box room, boys' room, breadroom, bread-room, breakout room, break room, breakroom, breathing room, browsing room, bunkroom, butt room, by-room, cardroom, card-room, champagne room, changeroom, changing room, chartroom, chatroom, chat-room, checkroom, Chinese room, classroom, cleanroom, clean room, cloak room, cloakroom, clockroom, clubroom, coatroom, coderoom, coffee-room, coffee room, coffeeroom, cold room, collaboration room, combination room, comfort room, commercial room, committee room, common room, computer room, concert room, conference room, consulting room, consumption room, control room, cookroom, coolroom, copy room, counting room, count room, court room, courtroom, crush room, crying room, cry room, cutting room, darkroom, dark room, data room, day room, dayroom, dead room, decision room, delivery room, dining room, dining-room, dinner room, discussion room, display room, dormroom, double room, drawing-room, drawing room, dream room, dressing room, dressing-room, dying room, elbowroom, embalming room, emergency room, engine room, escape room, examination room, examining room, family room, feedroom, fireroom, fishing room, fitting room, fixing room, fix room, Florida room, footroom, foreroom, form-room, form room, front room, fuck room, game room, games room, gentlemen's room, giftwrapping room, girls' room, gorilla in the room, granny room, greatroom, great room, green room, grill room, grillroom, grow room, guardroom, guest-room, guest room, guestroom, gunroom, half bathroom, headroom, hearing room, hoistroom, homeroom, hotel room, houseroom, huddle room, incident room, inner room, interroom, IQ of room temperature, junkroom, keeping room, keeping-room, kneeroom, ladies' room, lamp room, laundry room, lavatory room, legroom, lightroom, light up a room, light up the room, little boys' room, little boys room, little boy's room, little girls room, little girl's room, little girls' room, living-room, living room, living room group, locked-room mystery, locker room, locker-room, locker room humor, locker room talk, locker-room talk, locking room, long room, loo room, lose the dressing room, loungeroom, lounge room, lumberroom, lumber room, lunchroom, machine room, mailroom, make room, maneuvering room, man's room, map room, master bedroom, meat in the room, meditation room, meeting room, meet-me room, men's room, messroom, mess room, morning-room, morning room, mud room, mudroom, multiroom, music room, mystery room, necessary room, nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, newsroom, not enough room to swing a cat, not worth hell room, on the cutting room floor, operating-room, operating room, operating-room table, operating room table, opportunity room, other room, packing room, padded room, pad room, panic room, parish room, piss room, pitroom, plant room, plaster room, plateroom, playroom, plotting room, poolroom, Poolrooms, pope's living room, postroom, powder room, prayer room, preparation room, prep room, presence room, press room, pressroom, private room, proofroom, pump-room, pump room, quiet room, rage room, raying room, reading room, read the room, ready room, reception room, recording room, recovery room, recreation room, rec room, red room, refreshment room, relay room, rest room, restroom, retiring room, romper room, roomage, roomal, room and pillar, Roomba, room by the hour, room divider, roomette, room for a pony, room for doubt, room for maneuver, roomful, roomie, room in, roomkeeper, roomless, roomlet, roomlike, roomly, roommate, room meat, room of doom, room party, room-scale, room-set, roomset, room set, roomsome, room spray, room temp, room-temperature, room temperature, room temperature IQ, room temperature I.Q., room-temperature I.Q., room-temperature IQ, roomth, room to maneuver, room tone, roomward, roomwise, roomy, rubber room, ruckus room, rumpus room, running room, safe room, sailroom, sale room, saleroom, salesroom, sample room, save room, scene-room, schoolroom, school room, school-room, science room, screening room, searchroom, sea room, setting room, sewing room, shelfroom, shielded room, shiproom, showroom, sickroom, single room, sinkroom, sitting room, sitting-room, situation room, slumber room, smallest room, smallest room in the house, small room, smash room, smoke-filled room, smoke room, smokeroom, smoking-room, smoking room, soft room, song and supper room, sound room, spare room, spin room, spirit-room, squad room, stackroom, stack room, staffroom, standing-room, standing room, stateroom, steam room, stillroom, stockroom, stock room, storeroom, store-room, storm room, strongroom, strong room, study room, subroom, sun room, sunroom, switchroom, tack room, tally room, tankroom, taproom, tasting room, tea room, tearoom, three-quarter bathroom, throneroom, throne-room, throne room, tiring-room, toilet room, toilet-room, tool room, toolroom, T-room, trophy room, twin room, upper room, upstairs room, utility room, viewing room, virtual data room, visiting room, waiting room, waiting-room, wardroom, wareroom, warming room, warming-room, war-room, war room, wash room, washroom, weightroom, weight room, well-room, well room, wet room, white room, wiggle room, wireroom, withdrawing room, wobble room, woman's room, women's room, workroom, wriggle room, writers' room, writ-room, yardroom
Related terms
clean my room, elbow room, elephant in the room, get a room, in the room, need a room, no room at the inn, room and board, room at the top, room by room, room for abuse, room for apology, room for dessert, room for error, room for improvement, room service, room to breathe, room to grow, room to roam, room with a view, standing room only, work the room, :Category:Rooms, Template:Room on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Hyponyms
28 termskitchen, living room, parlor, drawing room, entrance hall, front room, door, dining room, study, bedroom, chamber, bathroom, toilet, lavatory, pantry, utility room, guest room, lounge, waiting room, dorm, dormitory, changing room, dressing room, locker room, classroom, workroom, workshop, studio
Holonyms
apartment, building, flat, home, hospital, hotel, house, structure
Meronyms
appliances, doors, furniture, light fixtures, switches, walls, wall sockets, windows

room

verb
Etymology

From Middle English roum (“room, space”), from Old English rūm (“room, space”), from Proto-West Germanic *rūm (“room”), from Proto-Germanic *rūmą (“room”), from Proto-Indo-European *(H)rewH- (“to root; to rip, tear”), from *Hrew- (“to tear out, open”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian rüm (“room, space”), Saterland Frisian and Low German Ruum (“room, space”), Dutch ruim (“open space; cargo hold”), German and Luxembourgish Raum (“room, space”), Vilamovian raojm (“room”), Danish and Swedish rum (“room, space”), Faroese and Icelandic rúm (“space, room”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk rom (“room, space”), Gothic 𐍂𐌿𐌼 (rum, “room, space”); also Irish rúsc (“bark”), Manx roost (“bark; peel, rind”), Scottish Gaelic rùsg (“rind; bark; fleece; shell”), Welsh rhisgl (“bark”), Latin rūs (“country, fields, lands; estate, farm; village”), Ancient Greek ὀρύσσω (orússō), ὀρύττω (orúttō, “to dig”), Latvian raut (“to pull with force”), Lithuanian rauti (“to grub, pull”), Belarusian рыць (rycʹ, “to dig”), Bulgarian ри́я (ríja, “to excavate”), Czech rýt (“to dig; to engrave”), Polish ryć (“to dig”), Russian рыть (rytʹ, “to dig; to burrow, mine”), Slovak ryť (“to dig; to engrave”), Slovene riti (“to dig”), Ukrainian ри́ти (rýty, “to dig, excavate”), Central Kurdish ڕێو (rêw, “public hair”), Tocharian A kärpi (“raw, rough; common”), Tocharian B kärpiye (“raw, rough; common”), Sanskrit लोमन् (loman), रोमन् (roman, “body hair; down, wool”). More at rural. Doublet of Raum, a surname from German. The word superficially appears to be an exception to the Great Vowel Shift, which might have produced the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/, but the retention of Middle English /uː/ before /m/ is regular. In fact, /aʊ/ does not occur before non-coronal consonants in Standard Modern English native vocabulary. Some dialects did undergo diphthongization in such a position and the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/ occurs, for example, in Lancashire.

1

To reside, especially as a boarder or tenant.

  • Doctor Watson roomed with Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street.
  • Even without looking up, I knew right away who it was. It was Robert Ackley, this guy that roomed right next to me.1951 July 16, J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC, page 25:
1 more example
  • But, then, running into the guy who rooms across the hall from me—in the Paris Metro?1971 June 13, Paul Goldberger, “On the Champs — Elysees: ‘Hey, Aren't You the Girl Who Sits Across From Me in Abnormal Psych?’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
2

To assign to a room; to allocate a room to.

  • […] convinced (with no scientific evidence) that they would contract the dread disease by breathing the same air in which the patient was roomed, by touching the patient or even by changing the sheets of a patient's bed.1988, Arthur Frederick Ide, AIDS hysteria, page 12:
Derived terms
roomer, roomie, roomy, room together

room

adj
Etymology

From Middle English roum, rom, rum, from Old English rūm (“roomy, spacious, ample, extensive, large, open, unencumbered, unoccupied, temporal, long, extended, great, liberal, unrestricted, unfettered, clear, loose, free from conditions, free from occupation, not restrained within due limits, lax, far-reaching, abundant, noble, august”), from Proto-Germanic *rūmaz (“roomy, spacious”), from Proto-Indo-European *rewh₁- (“free space”). Cognate with Scots roum (“spacious, roomy”), Dutch ruim (“roomy, spacious, wide”), Danish rum (“wide, spacious”), German raum (“wide”), Icelandic rúmur (“spacious”).

1

Dialectal, Obsolete Wide; spacious; roomy.

room

adv

Etymology From Middle English rome, from Old English rūme (“widely, spaciously, roomily, far and wide, so as to extend over a wide space, liberally, extensively, amply, abundantly, in a high degree, without restriction or encumbrance, without the pressure of care, light-heartedly, without obstruction, plainly, clearly, in detail”). Cognate with Dutch ruim (“amply”, adverb).

1

Dialectal, Obsolete Far; at a distance; wide in space or extent.

2

Nautical, Transport Off from the wind.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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