"roof" - meanings, definitions, synonyms, thesaurus and antonyms

\Roof\, n. [OE. rof, AS. hr?f top, roof; akin to D. roef
cabin, Icel. hr?f a shed under which ships are built or kept;
cf. OS. hr?st roof, Goth. hr?t. Cf. {Roost}.]
1. (Arch.) The cover of any building, including the roofing
   (see {Roofing}) and all the materials and construction
   necessary to carry and maintain the same upon the walls or
   other uprights. In the case of a building with vaulted
   ceilings protected by an outer roof, some writers call the
   vault the roof, and the outer protection the roof mask. It
   is better, however, to consider the vault as the ceiling
   only, in cases where it has farther covering.

2. That which resembles, or corresponds to, the covering or
   the ceiling of a house; as, the roof of a cavern; the roof
   of the mouth.

         The flowery roof Showered roses, which the morn
         repaired.                             --Milton.

3. (Mining.) The surface or bed of rock immediately overlying
   a bed of coal or a flat vein.

{Bell roof}, {French roof}, etc. (Arch.) See under {Bell},
   {French}, etc.

{Flat roof}. (Arch.)
   (a) A roof actually horizontal and level, as in some
       Oriental buildings.
   (b) A roof nearly horizontal, constructed of such material
       as allows the water to run off freely from a very
       slight inclination.

{Roof plate}. (Arch.) See {Plate}, n., 10.

\Roof\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Roofed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Roofing}.]
1. To cover with a roof.

         I have not seen the remains of any Roman buildings
         that have not been roofed with vaults or arches.
                                               --Addison.

2. To inclose in a house; figuratively, to shelter.

         Here had we now our country's honor roofed. --Shak.