ceiling

[ see-ling ]

noun

1. the overhead interior surface of a room.
2. the top limit imposed by law on the amount of money that can be charged or spent or the quantity of goods that can be produced or sold.
3. Aeronautics.
   1. the maximum altitude from which the earth can be seen on a particular day, usually equal to the distance between the earth and the base of the lowest cloud bank.
   2. Also called absolute ceiling. the maximum altitude at which a particular aircraft can operate under specified conditions.
4. Meteorology. the height above ground level of the lowest layer of clouds that cover more than half of the sky.
5. a lining applied for structural reasons to a framework, especially in the interior surfaces of a ship or boat.
6. Also called ceiling piece. Theater. the ceiling or top of an interior set, made of cloth, a flat, or two or more flats hinged together.
7. the act or work of a person who makes or finishes a ceiling.
8. vaulting, as in a medieval church.

ceiling

/ ˈsiːlɪŋ /

noun

1. the inner upper surface of a room
2. 1. an upper limit, such as one set by regulation on prices or wages
   2. ( as modifier )

      ceiling prices

3. the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climb measured under specified conditions See also service ceiling absolute ceiling
4. meteorol the highest level in the atmosphere from which the earth's surface is visible at a particular time, usually the base of a cloud layer
5. a wooden or metal surface fixed to the interior frames of a vessel for rigidity

Other Words From

• ceil·inged adjective
• sub·ceil·ing noun
• un·ceil·inged adjective
• un·der·ceil·ing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ceiling¹

1350–1400, ceiling fordef 7; Middle English; ceil, -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ceiling¹

C14: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hit the ceiling, Informal. to become enraged:

   When he saw the amount of the bill, he hit the ceiling.

More idioms and phrases containing ceiling

see glass ceiling ; hit the ceiling .

Example Sentences

US defender Chastain vividly remembers the conditions - "the water dripping from the ceiling, the mildew - you can smell it".

From BBC

The inquest also heard two statements from firefighters Leighton Brown and Gareth Davies who said the stairs banister, ceiling and the whole of the landing was “covered in smoke and fire” on their arrival.

From BBC

And when glass ceilings for women in music were hit, you could understand her thirst to make every idea and new discipline count, and the penchant for excess that went with it.

From Los Angeles Times

But people living on Fern Meadow in Wrexham have been plagued by issues including unfinished roads and pavements, flooding, and loose sockets and holes in their ceilings.

From BBC

Many pundits thought that a candidate who ran the most racist campaign since George Wallace in 1968 couldn’t possibly move above a ceiling that would keep them far short of a majority.

From Salon

Related Words

• beam
• plaster
• roof