dormitory
dormitory Lexical Profile
dormitory Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A large building at a college, university, or boarding school that provides living quarters and bedrooms for students.
"First-year university students are required to live in a campus dormitory before moving into off-campus apartments."
A large bedroom containing several beds to accommodate multiple people, especially in a boarding school, hostel, camp, or religious institution.
"The backpackers booked beds in a shared ten-person dormitory at the youth hostel."
British A suburban town or residential area from which most residents commute to work in a nearby larger city.
"With the expansion of the railway line, the quiet village rapidly grew into a bustling commuter dormitory for London."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'dormitory' (often shortened to 'dorm') refers to an entire student residence building, whereas in British English it traditionally refers to a single large shared bedroom containing many beds (with the student residence building called a 'hall of residence').
• Rhymes for dormitory
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin 'dormitorium' ('a sleeping room'), originally used in medieval monasteries, from 'dormire' ('to sleep').