Etymology : Middle English celen, from Medieval Latin celare, caelare, perhaps from Latin caelare to carve, from caelum chisel; akin to Latin caedere to cut
Pronunciation : 'sE(&)l
Function : transitive verb
Date : 15th century
1. overhead wall enclosing a room. ceiling\ceil"ing\, n. [see:
cell, v. t.].
2. (arch.) (a) the inside lining of a room overhead; the under side of the floor above; the upper surface opposite to the floor. (b) the lining or finishing of any wall or other surface, with plaster, thin boards, etc.; also, the work when done.
3. (naut.) the inner planking of a vessel.
4. The inside lining of a room overhead; the under side of the floor above; the upper surface opposite to the floor.
5. The lining or finishing of any wall or other surface, with plaster, thin boards, etc.; also, the work when done.
6. The inner planking of a vessel. the overhead upper surface of a room; "he hated painting the ceiling" altitude of the lowest layer of clouds maximum altitude at which a plane can fly an upper limit on what is allowed; "they established a cap for prices".
7. To overlay or cover the inner side of the roof of; to furnish with a ceiling; as, to ceil a room.
8. To line or finish a surface, as of a wall, with plaster, stucco, thin boards, or the like.
9. 1. A ceiling is the horizontal surface that forms the top part or roof inside a room. The rooms were spacious, with tall windows and high ceilings The study was lined from floor to ceiling on every wall with bookcases.
10. A ceiling on something such as prices or wages is an official upper limit that cannot be broken. an informal agreement to put a ceiling on salaries The agreement sets the ceiling of twenty-two-point-five million barrels a day on OPEC production. = limit. Overhead surface of a room, and the underside of a floor or roof. Suspended ceilings, which hang from the beams above, are used to conceal construction, mechanical equipment, wiring, and light fixtures. During the Renaissance, ceilings were often coffered (see:
coffer), vaulted (see:
vault), or transformed into one large framed painting.