• (RP) IPA: /ɹuːm/
• (GA) IPA: /ɹum/
• (British, New England) IPA: /ɹʊm/

room

1. (now, rare) Opportunity or scope (to do something). [from 9th c.]
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts of the Apostles I:

     Thou lorde whiche knowest the hertes of all men, shewe whether thou hast chosen of these two, that the one maye take the roume of this ministracion, and apostleshippe from the which Judas by transgression fell, that he myght goo to his awne place.

   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa:

     Nor shalt thou give me room to doubt whether it be necessity or love, that inspires this condescending impulse.

2. (uncountable) Space for something, or to carry out an activity. [from 10th c.]
   • 2010, Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian, 27 Aug 2010:

     He explains they have enough room to stand and lie down, points out the "little cup to brush our teeth", and the place where they pray.

3. (archaic) A particular portion of space. [from 11th c.]

   • If he have but twelve pence in his purse, he will give it for the best room in a playhouse.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Luke 14:8 ↗:

     When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room.

4. (uncountable, figuratively) Sufficient space for or to do something. [from 15th c.]
   • March 2, 1716, Joseph Addison, The Freeloader No. 21

     There was no prince in the empire who had room for such an alliance.

   • 2010, Roger Bootle, The Telegraph, 12 Sep 2010:

     There are major disagreements within the Coalition and politicians always want to retain room for manoeuvre.

5. (nautical) A space between the timbers of a ship's frame. [from 15th c.]
6. (obsolete) Place; stead.
7. (countable) A separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling. [from 15th c.]
   • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice:

     Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the room.

8. (countable, with possessive pronoun) (One's) bedroom.

   Go to your room!

9. (in the plural) A set of rooms inhabited by someone; one's lodgings. [from 17th c.]
10. (always in the singular, metonymy) The people in a room. [from 17th c.]

    The room was on its feet.

11. (mining) An area for working in a coal mine. [from 17th c.]
12. (caving) A portion of a cave that is wider than a passage. [from 17th c.]
13. (Internet, countable) A forum or chat room. [from 20th c.]

    Some users may not be able to access the AOL room.

14. Place or position in society; office; rank; post, sometimes when vacated by its former occupant.
    • Bible, Gospel of Matthew ii. 22

      When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod.

    • Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven.

    • c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:

15. Furniture sufficient to furnish a room.
    • 1985, August Wilson, Fences (play

      “I understand you need some furniture and can’t get no credit.” I liked to fell over. He say, “I’ll give you all the credit you want, but you got to pay the interest on it.” I told him, “Give me three rooms worth and charge whatever you want.”

• (space) elbow room, legroom, space
• (part of a building) chamber, quarters
• (part of a cave) chamber
• rm
• See also Thesaurus:room

• Italian: motivo, opportunità
• Russian: возмо́жность

• French: espace, place
• German: Raum, Platz
• Italian: spazio
• Portuguese: espaço
• Russian: ме́сто
• Spanish: espacio, lugar, cabida

• Italian: posto

• Spanish: cabida

• French: pièce, salle, chambre a bedroom
• German: Raum, Zimmer, Kammer especially a storeroom or bedroom, Gemach (dated or high)
• Italian: stanza, camera a bedroom, sala
• Portuguese: sala, aposento, quarto especially a bedroom, câmara
• Russian: ко́мната
• Spanish: cuarto, habitación, pieza, sala, (Mexico) recámara a bedroom

room (rooms, present participle rooming; past and past participle roomed)

1. (intransitive) To reside, especially as a boarder or tenant.

   Doctor Watson roomed with Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street.

2. (transitive) To assign to a room; to allocate a room to.

• Italian: alloggiare

room

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Wide; spacious; roomy.

room

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Far; at a distance; wide in space or extent.
2. (nautical) Off from the wind.

room (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of roum#English|roum (“deep blue dye”)