room
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɹʊm/
ipa: /ɹuːm/
ipa: /ɹum/
ipa: /ɹʉm/
ipa: /ɾʉm/
note: New England, Tidewater, Ottawa Valley
ipa: /ɹʊm/
homophone: rheum (/ɹu(ː)m/, /ɹʉm/)
homophone: rum (/ɹʊm/) (without the foot-strut split)
rhymes: -uːm
rhymes: -ʊm
Forms: form: rooms
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *rūm
Old English rūm
Middle English roum
English room
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 *(H)rewH-.
Cognate with Low German Ruum (“space, room”), Dutch ruim (“cargo load”), German Raum (“space, room”), 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. 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 position and the pronunciation /ɹaʊm/ occurs, for example, in Lancashire.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:
text: Nor shalt thou give me room to doubt whether it be necessity or love, that inspires this condescending impulse.
ref: 1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], →OCLC:
glosses: An opportunity or scope (to do something).
examples: text: 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.
ref: 2010 August 27, Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian:
glosses: Space for something, or to carry out an activity.
examples: text: If he have but twelve pence in his purse, he will give it for the best room in a playhouse.
ref: 1614, Thomas Overbury, Characters:
text: When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:8:
glosses: A particular portion of space.
examples: text: There was no prince in the empire who had room for such an alliance.
ref: 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:
text: There are major disagreements within the Coalition and politicians always want to retain room for manoeuvre.
ref: 2010 September 12, Roger Bootle, The Telegraph:
glosses: Sufficient space for or to do something.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: A space between the timbers of a ship's frame.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
text: A ram was accepted as a vicarious sacrifice in room of the royal victim.
ref: 1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, 2nd edition, volume 2, page 37:
glosses: A place; a stead.
examples: text: Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the room.
ref: 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
glosses: A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling.
examples: text: Go to your room!
text: 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.
ref: 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
text: ‘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.’
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
glosses: (One's) bedroom.
raw_tags: with possessive pronoun
glosses: A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings.
examples: text: The room was on its feet.
text: He was good at reading rooms.
text: It was fun to watch her work the room.
glosses: The people in a room.
topics: business
mining
glosses: An area for working in a coal mine.
topics: caving
hobbies
lifestyle
glosses: A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage.
examples: text: Some users may not be able to access the AOL room.
text: Here in the room we are as one / Together you and me, together you and me / Hours connect / As we switch on
ref: 2000, “My Internet Girl”, performed by Aaron Carter:
glosses: An IRC or chat room.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: Let Bianca take her sister's room.
ref: 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]:
text: When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 2:22:
text: Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven.
ref: 1848, William Tyndale, edited by Henry Walter, Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures:
glosses: A place or position in society; office; rank; post, sometimes when vacated by its former occupant.
examples: text: “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.”
ref: 1985, August Wilson, Fences:
glosses: A quantity of furniture sufficient to furnish one room.
Synonyms: sense: space
word: elbow room
sense: space
word: legroom
sense: space
word: space
sense: part of a building
word: chamber
sense: part of a building
word: quarters
sense: part of a cave
word: chamber
word: rm
word: room
Hyponyms: word: kitchen
word: living room
word: parlor
word: drawing room
word: entrance hall
word: front room
word: dining room
word: study
word: bedroom
word: chamber
word: bathroom
word: toilet
word: lavatory
word: pantry
word: utility room
word: guest room
word: lounge
word: waiting room
word: dorm
word: dormitory
word: changing room
word: dressing room
word: locker room
word: classroom
word: workroom
word: workshop
word: studio
Meronyms: appliances
doors
furniture
light fixtures
switches
walls
wall sockets
windows
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
bathroom
bath room
bathroomette
bedroom
bed room
bed-room
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
box room
boxroom
boys' room
breadroom
bread-room
breakout room
break room
breakroom
breathing room
browsing room
bunkroom
by-room
cardroom
card-room
champagne room
changeroom
changing room
chartroom
chat-room
chatroom
checkroom
Chinese room
classroom
clean room
cleanroom
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
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
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
fuck room
game room
games room
gentlemen's room
giftwrapping room
girls' room
gorilla in the room
granny room
greatroom
great room
green room
grillroom
grill room
grow room
guardroom
guestroom
guest room
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 girl's room
little girls 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
lumber room
lumberroom
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
piss room
plant room
plaster room
playroom
plotting room
poolroom
pope's living room
postroom
powder room
prayer 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 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
saleroom
sale room
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
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
stock room
stockroom
storeroom
store-room
storm room
strongroom
strong room
study room
subroom
sunroom
sun room
switchroom
tack room
tally room
tankroom
taproom
tasting room
tearoom
tea room
three-quarter bathroom
throneroom
throne room
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
weight room
weightroom
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: word: clean my room
word: elbow room
word: elephant in the room
word: get a room
word: in the room
word: need a room
word: no room at the inn
word: room and board
word: room at the top
word: room by room
word: room for abuse
word: room for apology
word: room for dessert
word: room for error
word: room for improvement
word: room service
word: room to breathe
word: room to grow
word: room to roam
word: room with a view
word: standing room only
word: work the room
word: :Category:Rooms
word: Template:Room on Wikipedia.Wikipedia