room (rooms plural & 3rd person present) (rooming present participle) (roomed past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A room is one of the separate sections or parts of the inside of a building. Rooms have their own walls, ceilings, floors, and doors, and are usually used for particular activities. You can refer to all the people who are in a room as the room.
A minute later he excused himself and left the room..., The whole room roared with laughter.
2 n-count If you talk about your room, you are referring to the room that you alone use, especially your bedroom at home or your office at work.
poss N
If you're running upstairs, go to my room and bring down my sweater, please.
3 n-count A room is a bedroom in a hotel.
Toni booked a room in an hotel not far from Arzfeld.
4 verb If you roomwith someone, you share a rented room, apartment, or house with them, for example when you are a student.
(AM)
I had roomed with him in New Haven when we were both at Yale Law School. V with n, Also V together
5 n-uncount If there is room somewhere, there is enough empty space there for people or things to be fitted in, or for people to move freely or do what they want to.
There is usually room to accommodate up to 80 visitors...
→
leg room
→
standing room
6 n-uncount If there is roomfor a particular kind of behaviour or action, people are able to behave in that way or to take that action.
usu N for n
The intensity of the work left little room for personal grief or anxiety...
7 If you have room for manoeuvre, you have the opportunity to change your plans if it becomes necessary or desirable.
room for manoeuvre phrase PHR after v, poss PHR, with PHR
With an election looming, he has little room for manoeuvre.
8 →
changing room →
chat room →
common room →
consulting room →
dining room →
drawing room →
dressing room →
elbow room →
emergency room →
ladies' room →
leg room →
living room →
locker room →
men's room →
morning room →
powder room →
reading room →
reception room →
rest room →
spare room →
standing room →
to give something houseroom →
houseroom
changing room (changing rooms plural )A changing room is a room where you can change your clothes and usually have a shower, for example at a sports centre. n-count
chat room (chat rooms plural )A chat room is a site on the Internet where people can exchange messages about a particular subject. (COMPUTING) n-count
common room (common rooms plural ), common-room A common room is a room in a university or school where people can sit, talk, and relax.
(mainly BRIT) n-count
consulting room (consulting rooms plural )A doctor's or therapist's consulting room is the room in which they see their patients.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, use doctor's office
cutting room
Thecutting room in a film production company is the place where the film is edited. n-sing usu the N
Her scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
day room (day rooms plural )A day room is a room in a hospital where patients can sit and relax during the day. n-count
dealing room (dealing rooms plural )A dealing room is a place where shares, currencies, or commodities are bought and sold. (BUSINESS) n-count
delivery room (delivery rooms plural )In a hospital, the delivery room is the room where women give birth to their babies. n-count
dining room (dining rooms plural ), dining-room The dining room is the room in a house where people have their meals, or a room in a hotel where meals are served. n-count usu the N
drawing room (drawing rooms plural )A drawing room is a room, especially a large room in a large house, where people sit and relax, or entertain guests.
FORMAL n-count
dressing room (dressing rooms plural ), dressing-room
1 n-count A dressing room is a room in a theatre where performers can dress and get ready for their performance.
2 n-count A dressing room is a room at a sports stadium where players can change and get ready for their game.
(BRIT)
(=changing room)
in AM, use locker room
elbow room
1 n-uncount Elbow room is the freedom to do what you want to do or need to do in a particular situation.
INFORMAL
(=leeway)
His speech was designed to give himself more political elbow room.
2 n-uncount If there is enough elbow room in a place or vehicle, it is not too small or too crowded.
INFORMAL
(=space)
There was not much elbow room in the cockpit of a Snipe.
emergency room (emergency rooms plural )The emergency room is the room or department in a hospital where people who have severe injuries or sudden illnesses are taken for emergency treatment. The abbreviation ER is often used.
(mainly AM) n-count
in BRIT, usually use casualty, A & E
engine room (engine rooms plural )
1 n-count On a boat or a ship, the engine room is the place where the engines are.
2 n-count If you refer to something as theengine roomof an organization or institution, you mean it is the most important or influential part of that organization or institution.
oft the N of n
These firms are regarded as the engine room of the British economy.
guest room (guest rooms plural )A guest room is a bedroom in a house or hotel for visitors or guests to sleep in. n-count
incident room (incident rooms plural )An incident room is a room used by the police while they are dealing with a major crime or accident.
(BRIT) n-count usu sing
Police have set up an incident room as they begin to investigate this morning's fire.
ladies' room
Some people refer to a public toilet for women as the ladies' room. n-sing usu the N
(=ladies)
leg room
Leg room is the amount of space, especially in a car or other vehicle, that is available in front of your legs. n-uncount
Tall drivers won't have enough leg room.
living room (living rooms plural ), living-room The living room in a house is the room where people sit and relax. n-count
(=sitting room, lounge)
We were sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV.
locker room (locker rooms plural )A locker room is a room in which there are a lot of lockers. n-count
men's room (men's rooms plural )Themen's room is a toilet for men in a public building.
(mainly AM) n-count usu the N in sing
morning room (morning rooms plural ), morning-room In some large, old houses, the morning room is a living room which gets the sun in the morning.
OLD-FASHIONED n-count
operating room (operating rooms plural )An operating room is the same as an operating theatre.
(AM) n-count
powder room (powder rooms plural )A powder room is a room for women in a public building such as a hotel, where they can use the toilet, have a wash, or put on make-up.
FORMAL n-count
press room (press rooms plural ), pressroom A press room is a room for journalists to use at a special event. n-count
reading room (reading rooms plural )A reading room is a quiet room in a library or museum where you can read and study. n-count
reception room (reception rooms plural )A reception room is a room in a house, for example a living room, where people can sit. This expression is often used in descriptions of houses that are for sale.
(BRIT) n-count
rest room (rest rooms plural ), restroom In a restaurant, theatre, or other public place, a rest room is a room with a toilet for customers to use.
(AM) n-count
in BRIT, usually use toilet
room service
Room service is a service in a hotel by which meals or drinks are provided for guests in their rooms. n-uncount
The hotel did not normally provide room service...
sitting room (sitting rooms plural ), sitting-room A sitting room is a room in a house where people sit and relax.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, usually use living room
smoke-filled room (smoke-filled rooms plural )If you talk about a decision being made in a smoke-filled room, you mean that it is made by a small group of people in a private meeting, rather than in a more democratic or open way. n-count
(disapproval)
...long discussions in smoke-filled rooms.
spare room (spare rooms plural )A spare room is a bedroom which is kept especially for visitors to sleep in. n-count
standing room
Standing room is space in a room or bus, where people can stand when all the seats have been occupied. n-uncount
The place quickly fills up so it's soon standing room only.
tea room (tea rooms plural ), tearoom A tea room is the same as a tea shop. n-count; n-in-names
utility room (utility rooms plural )A utility room is a room in a house which is usually connected to the kitchen and which contains things such as a washing machine, sink, and cleaning equipment. n-count
waiting room (waiting rooms plural ), waiting-room A waiting room is a room in a place such as a railway station or a clinic, where people can sit down while they wait. n-count
women's room (women's rooms plural )Thewomen's room is a toilet for women in a public building.
(mainly AM) n-count usu the N in sing
