ceiling

interior upper surface of a room: The entryway had a high ceiling.; a maximum limit; vertical boundary, cloud cover

Not to be confused with:

sealing – using an adhesive agent to close or secure something: She used sealing wax on the envelope.

ceil·ing

(sē′lĭng)

a. The upper interior surface of a room.

b. Material used to cover this surface.

2. Something resembling a ceiling: a ceiling of leaves over the arbor.

3. An upper limit, especially as set by regulation: wage and price ceilings.

a. The highest altitude under particular weather conditions from which the ground is still visible.

b. The altitude of the lowest layer of clouds.

c. The maximum altitude that an aircraft can reach under a given set of conditions, such as a minimum rate of climb.

5. Nautical The planking applied to the interior framework of a ship.

[Middle English celing, from celen, to ceil; see ceil.]

ceil′inged adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ceiling

(ˈsiːlɪŋ)

1. (Architecture) the inner upper surface of a room

2. (Commerce)

a. an upper limit, such as one set by regulation on prices or wages

b. (as modifier): ceiling prices.

3. (Aeronautics) the upper altitude to which an aircraft can climb measured under specified conditions. See also service ceiling, absolute ceiling

4. (Physical Geography) 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. (Nautical Terms) a wooden or metal surface fixed to the interior frames of a vessel for rigidity

[C14: of uncertain origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ceil•ing

(ˈsi lɪŋ)

n.

1. the overhead interior surface of a room.

2. an upper limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent, the quantity of goods produced or sold, etc.: a ceiling on government spending.

a. the maximum altitude from which the earth can be seen from an aircraft.

b. the maximum altitude at which an aircraft can operate under specified conditions.

4. the height above ground level of the lowest layer of clouds that cover more than half of the sky.

[1350–1400; Middle English; see ceil, -ing¹]

ceil′inged, adj.

ceiling

The height above the Earth's surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuration phenomena that is reported as "broken," "overcast," or "obscured" and not classified as "thin" or "partial."

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	ceiling - the overhead upper surface of a covered space; "he hated painting the ceiling" hall, hallway - an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open; "the elevators were at the end of the hall" overhead - (nautical) the top surface of an enclosed space on a ship room - an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling; "the rooms were very small but they had a nice view" upper surface - the side that is uppermost
	2.	ceiling - (meteorology) altitude of the lowest layer of clouds altitude, height - elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface; "the altitude gave her a headache" meteorology - the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather)
	3.	ceiling - an upper limit on what is allowed; "he put a ceiling on the number of women who worked for him"; "there was a roof on salaries"; "they established a cap for prices" roof, cap control - the economic policy of controlling or limiting or curbing prices or wages etc.; "they wanted to repeal all the legislation that imposed economic controls" glass ceiling - a ceiling based on attitudinal or organizational bias in the work force that prevents minorities and women from advancing to leadership positions
	4.	ceiling - maximum altitude at which a plane can fly (under specified conditions) altitude, height - elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface; "the altitude gave her a headache" absolute ceiling - the maximum altitude at which an airplane can maintain horizontal flight combat ceiling, service ceiling - altitude above which a plane cannot climb faster than a given rate

ceiling

noun

The greatest amount or number allowed:

limit, limitation, maximum.

Translations

سَقْفسقف

strop

loft

Decke Plafond Zimmerdecke

ταβάνι οροφή πλαφόν υψόμετρο

techo

kattolakikorkeussisäkatto

plafond maximum

strop

mennyezetplafon

loft

soffitto tangenza tetto fasciame interno

天井

천장

lubos

griesti

strop

innertaktak

เพดาน

tavan

trần nhà

天花板

ceiling

[ˈsiːlɪŋ]

A. N

1. [of room] → techo m (Archit) → cielo m raso
see also hit B3

2. (Aer) → techo m

3. (fig) (= upper limit) → límite m, tope m
to fix a ceiling for; put a ceiling on → fijar el límite de

B. CPD ceiling price N → precio m tope

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ceiling

[ˈsiːlɪŋ] n

[room] → plafond m

(= limit) (on wages, prices) → plafond mceiling fan n → ventilateur m de plafond

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ceiling

→ (Zimmer)decke f

(Aviat: = cloud ceiling) → Wolkenhöhe f; (= aircraft’s ceiling) → Gipfelhöhe f

(fig: = upper limit) → ober(st)e Grenze, Höchstgrenze f; price ceiling → oberste Preisgrenze; to put a ceiling on something → etw nach oben begrenzen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ceiling

[ˈsiːlɪŋ] n (of room) → soffitto; (of boat) → pagliolato (fig) (upper limit) → tetto, limite m massimo

ceiling

(ˈsiːliŋ) noun

the inner roof (of a room etc). Paint the ceiling before you paint the walls.

ceiling

→ سَقْف strop loft Zimmerdecke ταβάνι techo katto plafond strop soffitto 天井 천장 plafond tak sufit tecto, teto потолок innertak เพดาน tavan trần nhà 天花板

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Under the pitch of the roof ran a ceiling cloth, which looked just as nice as a whitewashed ceiling.

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I have sounded the walls and examined the ceiling and floor and I know all about it.

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As the days went on, I noticed more and more that he would lie placidly looking at the white ceiling, with an absence of light in his face, until some word of mine brightened it for an instant, and then it would subside again.

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As she did so her eyes glanced casually over the ceiling till they were arrested by a spot in the middle of its white surface which she had never noticed there before.

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"How do you know it wasn't a drop of water falling off the ceiling on him?" asked Gub-Gub.

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"I've just brought this gentleman in to show him your ceiling. Did you ever see anything so wonderful?

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I groped along the partition, and by the staircase to the saloon, which was lit by the luminous ceiling. The furniture was upset.

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One instant all was quiet and stability--the next, and the world rocked, the tortured sides of the narrow passageway split and crumbled, great blocks of granite, dislodged from the ceiling, tumbled into the narrow way, choking it, and the walls bent inward upon the wreckage.

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We entered a spacious hall with a low ceiling, dimly lighted at its further end by one small oil-lamp.

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'Right again, quite right,' said Mr Swiveller, 'caution is the word, and caution is the act.' with that, he winked as if in preservation of some deep secret, and folding his arms and leaning back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling with profound gravity.

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A broad shaft of morning light poured through the open doorway in the ceiling of the room which was about thirty feet square, or roughly square, being irregular in shape, one side curving outward, another being indented by what might have been the corner of another building jutting into it, another alcoved by three sides of an octagon, while the fourth was serpentine in contour.

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After the second act I left Lena in tearful contemplation of the ceiling, and went out into the lobby to smoke.

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