ceiling

Pluralceilings

1. 1
   nouncountable

   The top surface of a room, above your head and opposite the floor.

   Like the lid on top of a box, but the box is the room you stand in.

   We painted the ceiling white to brighten the room.

   The old house had cracked ceilings in every room.

   Oppositefloor

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   The highest level that something is allowed to reach.

   Like the top mark on a measuring cup that you cannot fill past.

   The company set a ceiling on how much each person could spend.

   Prices hit a ceiling and stopped rising after the summer.

   Similarlimit, cap, maximum

   Oppositefloor

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable

   The flat surface that covers the top of a room indoors.

   Like the inside top of a cardboard box you are sitting under.

   The workers installed new tiles on the ceiling last week.

   A long crack ran along the ceiling in the bedroom.

   Oppositefloor

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable

   The highest amount of money allowed in a deal or payment.

   Like a spending cap on a gift card that you cannot pass.

   The bank set a ceiling on daily cash withdrawals.

   Borrowers cannot go above the credit ceiling on their account.

   Similarcap, limit, maximum

   Oppositefloor

   Note
5. 5
   nouncountable

   The highest height at which a plane can safely fly.

   Like how high a balloon can rise before the air gets too thin to lift it.

   The small plane reached its ceiling at twelve thousand feet.

   Fighter jets have a much higher ceiling than passenger planes.

   Note
6. 6
   nouncountable

   The smallest whole number that is equal to or bigger than a given number.

   Like always rounding a price up to the next whole dollar.

   The ceiling of 4.2 is 5.

   Round up to the ceiling when you cannot have a fraction of an item.

   Oppositefloor

   Note
7. 7
   nouncountable

   The height from the ground up to the lowest layer of clouds.

   Like measuring how far it is from the floor up to a low gray roof of clouds.

   The pilot checked the ceiling before taking off in foggy weather.

   A low ceiling kept the small planes grounded all morning.

   Note
8. 8
   noununcountable

   The wooden boards lining the inside of a ship's hull.

   Like the wooden boards lining the inside of a big crate.

   The crew checked the ceiling for rot below the waterline.

   Old sailing ships had thick wooden ceilings inside the hull.

   Similarlining

   Note
9. 9
   verb

   Present participle of ceil. Use this form for the action while it is happening now.

   The builders were ceiling the kitchen with fresh plaster.

   Workers are ceiling the attic before winter arrives.

   Note

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