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room

(rm, rm)

1. A space that is or may be occupied: That easy chair takes up too much room.

a. An area separated by walls or partitions from other similar parts of the structure or building in which it is located: the first room on the left; an unpainted room.

b. The people present in such an area: The whole room laughed.

3. rooms Living quarters; lodgings.

4. Suitable opportunity or scope: room for doubt.

intr.v. roomed, room·ing, rooms

To occupy a room; lodge.

[Middle English roum, from Old English rūm; see reuə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Synonyms: room, elbowroom, latitude, leeway, margin, scope
These nouns denote adequate allowance or opportunity for freedom of action: room for improvement; needed elbowroom to negotiate effectively; no latitude allowed in conduct; allowed the chef leeway in choosing the menu; no margin for error; permitting their talents free scope.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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