What does "dormer" mean?
A room-like, roofed projection from a sloping roof.
Dormer
/ˈdɔɹmɚ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A room-like, roofed projection from a sloping roof.
- Grammar: dormer is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: dormer window, bay, bay window, bow window.
- Useful contrasts: flat roof, nonresident, visitor.
- Usage evidence: I like the house with the dormer window.
How to use "dormer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dormer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dormer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dormer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dormer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dormer" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dormer window" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dormer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A room-like, roofed projection from a sloping roof.
"Then we came to a high white wall that surrounded a large garden, and within it was a long, massive building of some beauty and pretension, with a high, latticed belfry and heavy walls and with arched dormers in the sloping roof."
- 2 A resident of a dormitory. Philippines
"My dorm mates and I had a little get-together in our room on the second floor. We were just talking and weren't making much noise when we heard a knock on our door. It was a dormer from the room directly below us. She asked if we were cleaning and we told her that we weren't. She left but came back a little while later and asked the same question again. We asked her if our matron wants us to clean up. The dormer said no and left. But after a few minutes, she came up again and again asked if we were cleaning our room because she could hear the noise down in her room."
- 3 a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window wordnet
- 4 Ellipsis of dormer-window. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Irish.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I like the house with the dormer window."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dormer"?
Common synonyms include: dormer window, bay, bay window, bow window, casement, casement window.
How do you use "dormer" in a sentence?
I like the house with the dormer window.
How do you pronounce "dormer"?
Pronounced /ˈdɔɹmɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French dormoir (“sleeping room”), from dormir (“to sleep”).
Etymology 2
From dorm + -er.
Etymology 3
Most probably an English habitational surname, but if so the place of origin has not been identified. It could also be a reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Díorma.