# room
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ɹʊm/, /ɹuːm/
** Audio (UK, with /ʊ/):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /ɹum/
** Audio (US, with /u/):(file)
* (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA: /ɹʉm/, /ɾʉm/
* (New England, Tidewater, Ottawa Valley) IPA: /ɹʊm/
* Homophone: rheum (/ɹu(ː)m/, /ɹʉm/)
* Homophone: rum (/ɹʊm/) (without the foot-strut split)
* Rhymes: -uːm, -ʊm

### Etymology 1

From Middle English roum, from Old English rūm (“room, space”), from Proto-West Germanic *rūm (“room”), from Proto-Germanic *rūmą (“room”), from Proto-Indo-European *rewh₁- (“free space”).
Cognate with Low German Ruum, Dutch ruimte (“space”) and Dutch ruim (“cargo load”), German Raum (“space, interior space”), Danish rum (“space, locality”), Norwegian rom (“space”), Swedish rum (“space, location”), and also with Latin rūs (“country, field, farm”) through Indo-European. More at rural.
In the standard language, it is ostensibly an exception to the Great Vowel Shift, which otherwise would have produced the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/, but /aʊ/ does not occur before noncoronal consonants in standard Modern English native vocabulary. The pronunciation /ɹaʊm/ does occur in, for example, Lancashire. However, German Raum did undergo diphthongization similar to the Great Vowel Shift.

#### Noun

room (countable and uncountable, plural rooms)
* (now rare) Opportunity or scope (to do something). [from 9th c.]
** 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts: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.
** 1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], →OCLC:Nor shalt thou give me room to doubt whether it be necessity or love, that inspires this condescending impulse.
* (uncountable) Space for something, or to carry out an activity. [from 10th c.]
** 2010 August 27, Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian: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.
* (archaic) A particular portion of space. [from 11th c.]
** 1614, Thomas Overbury, Characters:If he have but twelve pence in his purse, he will give it for the best room in a playhouse.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:8:When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room.
* (uncountable, figuratively) Sufficient space for or to do something. [from 15th c.]
** 1716 March 13 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 21. Friday, March 2. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:There was no prince in the empire who had room for such an alliance.
** 2010 September 12, Roger Bootle, The Telegraph:There are major disagreements within the Coalition and politicians always want to retain room for manoeuvre.
* (nautical) A space between the timbers of a ship's frame. [from 15th c.]
* (obsolete) Place; stead.
** 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling: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.
** 1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, 2nd edition, volume 2, page 37:A ram was accepted as a vicarious sacrifice in room of the royal victim.
* (countable) A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling. [from 15th c.]
** 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the room.
** 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →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.
* (countable, with possessive pronoun) (One's) bedroom.
    Go to your room!
** 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC: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.
** 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:‘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.’
* (in the plural) A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings. [from 17th c.]
* (usually in the singular, metonymically) The people in a room. [from 17th c.]
    The room was on its feet.
    He was good at reading rooms.
    It was fun to watch her work the room.
* (mining) An area for working in a coal mine. [from 17th c.]
* (caving) A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage. [from 17th c.]
* (Internet, countable) An IRC or chat room. [from 20th c.]
    Some users may not be able to access the AOL room.
** 2000, “My Internet Girl”, performed by Aaron Carter:Here in the room we are as one / Together you and me, together you and me / Hours connect / As we switch on
* Place or position in society; office; rank; post, sometimes when vacated by its former occupant.
** c. 1587–1588, [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: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. 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]:Let Bianca take her sister's room.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 2:22:When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod.
** 1848, William Tyndale, edited by Henry Walter, Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures:Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven.
* A quantity of furniture sufficient to furnish one room.
** 1985, August Wilson, Fences:“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.”

##### Quotations

* For quotations using this term, see Citations:room.

##### Synonyms

* (space): elbow room, legroom, space
* (part of a building): chamber, quarters
* (part of a cave): chamber
* rm
* See also Thesaurus:room

##### Hyponyms

* See Category:en:Rooms

##### Meronyms

* appliances
* doors
* furniture
* light fixtures
* switches
* walls
* wall sockets
* windows

##### Holonyms

* apartment
* building
* flat
* home
* hospital
* hotel
* house
* structure

##### Derived terms

* 800-pound gorilla 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
* backroom
* back room
* bagroom
* balance room
* ballroom
* ball-room
* barrack-room lawyer
* barracks room lawyer
* barroom
* bar room
* bath room
* bathroom
* bathroomette
* bed room
* bed-room
* bedroom
* bed-sitting room
* big room
* big room house
* billiard-room
* billiard room, billiards room
* black room
* blue room
* board room
* board-room
* boardroom
* boiler room
* bookroom
* boot room
* boxroom
* box room
* boys' room
* breadroom
* bread-room
* breakout room
* breakroom
* break room
* breathing room
* browsing room
* bunkroom
* by-room
* card-room
* cardroom
* champagne room
* changeroom
* changing room
* chartroom
* chatroom
* chat-room
* checkroom
* Chinese room
* classroom
* clean room
* cleanroom
* cloak room
* cloakroom
* clockroom
* clubroom
* coatroom
* coderoom
* coffeeroom
* coffee room
* coffee-room
* cold room
* collaboration room
* combination room
* comfort room
* commercial room
* committee room
* common room
* computer room
* concert room
* consulting room
* consumption room
* control room
* cookroom
* coolroom
* copy room
* counting room
* count room
* courtroom
* court room
* crush room
* crying room
* cry room
* cutting room
* darkroom, dark room
* data room
* dayroom
* day room
* dead room
* decision room
* delivery room
* dining room
* dining-room
* dinner room
* discussion room
* display room
* dormroom
* double room
* drawing-room
* drawing 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
* fuckroom
* game room, games room
* games room
* gentlemen's room
* giftwrapping room
* girls' room
* gorilla in the room
* granny room
* great room
* greatroom
* green room
* grill room
* grillroom
* grow room
* guardroom
* guest room
* guestroom
* guest-room
* gunroom
* half bathroom
* headroom
* 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 girls room
* little girl's room
* living-room
* living room
* living room group
* 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
* mess room
* messroom
* 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
* plant room
* plaster room
* playroom
* plotting room
* poolroom
* pope's living room
* postroom
* powder room
* preparation room
* prep room
* presence room
* pressroom
* press room
* private room
* 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
* rest room
* restroom
* retiring room
* romper room
* roomage
* 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
* roomset
* room-set
* room set
* roomsome
* room spray
* room temp
* room-temperature
* room temperature
* room temperature I.Q.
* room-temperature IQ
* room temperature IQ
* room-temperature I.Q.
* 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
* sea room
* sewing room
* shelfroom
* shielded room
* shiproom
* showroom
* sickroom
* single room
* sinkroom
* sitting-room
* sitting room
* situation room
* smallest room
* smallest room in the house
* small room
* smash room
* smoke-filled room
* smokeroom
* smoke room
* smoking room
* smoking-room
* soft room
* song and supper room
* sound room
* spare room
* spin room
* squad room
* stackroom
* stack room
* staffroom
* standing room
* standing-room
* stateroom
* steam room
* stillroom
* stockroom
* stock room
* store-room
* storeroom
* storm room
* strongroom
* strong room
* study room
* subroom
* sunroom
* sun room
* switchroom
* tack room
* tally room
* tankroom
* taproom
* tearoom
* tea room
* three-quarter bathroom
* throne room
* throneroom
* throne-room
* tiring-room
* toilet-room
* toilet room
* toolroom
* tool room
* T-room
* trophy room
* twin room
* upper room
* upstairs room
* utility room
* viewing room
* virtual data room
* waiting room
* waiting-room
* wardroom
* wareroom
* warming room
* warming-room
* war-room
* war room
* washroom
* wash room
* 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

##### 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

##### Descendants

* → Japanese: ルーム (rūmu)
* → Kikuyu: rumu
* → Maori: rūma

##### Translations
#### Verb

room (third-person singular simple present rooms, present participle rooming, simple past and past participle roomed)
* (intransitive) To reside, especially as a boarder or tenant.
    Doctor Watson roomed with Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street.
** 1951, J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC, page 25:Even without looking up, I knew right away who it was. It was Robert Ackley, this guy that roomed right next to me.
** 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:But, then, running into the guy who rooms across the hall from me—in the Paris Metro?
* (transitive) To assign to a room; to allocate a room to.
** 1988, Arthur Frederick Ide, AIDS hysteria, page 12:[…] 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.

##### Derived terms

* roomer
* room together
* roomy

##### Translations
#### References

* ↑ Orton and Halliday, Survey of English Dialects Vol. 1 Basic Material Six Northern Counties and Man Part 2

### Etymology 2

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”).

#### Adjective

room (comparative more room, superlative most room)
* (dialectal or obsolete) Wide; spacious; roomy.

### Etymology 3

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).

#### Adverb

room (comparative more room, superlative most room)
* (dialectal or obsolete) Far; at a distance; wide in space or extent.
* (nautical) Off from the wind.

### Etymology 4
#### Noun

room (uncountable)
* Alternative form of roum (“deep blue dye”)

### Further reading

* Room in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
* room on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* “room”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “room”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

### Anagrams

* Moor, Moro, Romo, moor

## Afrikaans
### Etymology

From Dutch room, from Middle Dutch rôme, from Old Dutch *rōm, from Proto-West Germanic *raum, from Proto-Germanic *raumaz, , from Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ (“cream”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /rʊə̯m/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

room (uncountable)
* cream

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch rôme, from Old Dutch *rōm, from Proto-West Germanic *raum, from Proto-Germanic *raumaz, from Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ (“cream”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /roːm/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: room
* Rhymes: -oːm

### Noun

room m (uncountable)
* cream (of milk)

#### Derived terms

* afromen
* ontromen
* roomboter
* roomijs
* roomsaus
* slagroom

#### Descendants

* Afrikaans: room
* Negerhollands: room
* → Papiamentu: rom, room

### Anagrams

* moor