ceiling

The overhead closure of a room.

Noun

  1. The overhead closure of a room.
    • The dining room had an ornate ceiling.
  2. The upper limit of an object or action.
    • […] and only at Barnet did Tappin give Empire of India a burst to bring us up to the 60 m.p.h. speed ceiling of the London area. - 1956 December 5, W. J. Alcock, “On the Footplate of the "Elizabethan"”, in Railway...
    • Market forces naturally move the economy to the equilibrium, and the price ceiling has no effect on the price or the quantity sold. - 2008, N. Gregory Mankiw, Principles of Economics, volume 1, page 114:
  3. The highest altitude at which an aircraft can safely maintain flight.
  4. The measurement of visible distance from ground or sea level to an overcast cloud cover; under a clear sky, the ceiling measurement is identified as "unlimited."
    • Even though it was cloudy, there was still enough ceiling for the Blue Angels to perform a great show.
  5. The smallest integer greater than or equal to a given number.
    • The ceiling of 4.5 is 5; the ceiling of −4.5 is −4.
  6. The inner planking of a vessel.
  7. The maximum permitted level in a financial transaction.
  8. The overhead interior surface that covers the upper limits of a room.

Origin

From Middle English celing (“paneling; (bed) cover or hanging”), from celen (“to cover or panel walls”) (from Old French celer (“to conceal”)) + -ing (gerund-forming suffix). By surface analysis, ceil + -ing.

Forms

ceilings

Synonyms

ceil

Antonyms

floor

Derived

absolute ceiling acoustic ceiling bamboo ceiling brass ceiling cathedral ceiling ceil ceiling bird ceilinged ceiling effect ceiling fan ceiling function ceilingless ceilinglike ceiling paper ceilingward ceilingwards celluloid ceiling cloud ceiling cotton ceiling debt ceiling drop ceiling dropped ceiling flight ceiling floor-to-ceiling

Verb

  1. present participle and gerund of ceil

Origin

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.