penthouse

[ pent-hous ]

noun

, plural pent·hous·es [pent, -hou-ziz].

1. an apartment or dwelling on the roof of a building, usually set back from the outer walls.
2. any specially designed apartment on an upper floor, especially the top floor, of a building.
3. a structure on a roof for housing elevator machinery, a water tank, etc.
4. Also called pent, a shed with a sloping roof, or a sloping roof, projecting from a wall or the side of a building, as to shelter a door.
5. any rooflike shelter or overhanging part.
6. shed roof.
7. Court Tennis. a corridor having a slanted roof and projecting from three walls of the court.

penthouse

/ ˈpɛntˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a flat or maisonette built onto the top floor or roof of a block of flats
2. a construction on the roof of a building, esp one used to house machinery
3. a shed built against a building, esp one that has a sloping roof
4. real tennis the roofed corridor that runs along three sides of the court

Other Words From

• penthouselike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of penthouse¹

First recorded in 1520–30; alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle English pentis, from Old French apentiz, equivalent to apent, past participle of apendre “to hang against” + -iz ( French -is ), from unattested Vulgar Latin -ātīcium, noun use of neuter of unattested -ātīcius, equivalent to Latin -āt(us) past participle suffix + -īcius adjective suffix; appendant, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of penthouse¹

C14 pentis (later penthouse, by folk etymology), from Old French apentis, from Late Latin appendicium appendage, from Latin appendere to hang from; see appendix

Example Sentences

Ms Hand then went to a penthouse suite in the Beacon Hotel with a group of people who included Mr McGregor and his security team.

From BBC

After descending down a gold escalator at Trump Tower, the site of his family’s penthouse that was their primary residence until 2019, Trump announced his White House bid.

From Los Angeles Times

Foreign oligarchs own luxury penthouses they never visit, while the working homeless sleep wherever they can.

From Salon

Inside would have been penthouse apartments, a spa, multiple bars and a karaoke lounge.

From BBC

According to the Daily Mail, Spacey also put his London penthouse on the market earlier this month.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• co-op
• condo
• condominium
• cooperative
• flat
• suite