attic

/ˈædɪk/

/ˈætɪk/

Other forms: attics

An attic is an unfinished room at the very top of a house, just below the roof. It’s often the setting for creepy stories because it’s a room people don’t go in very often.

A finished attic is extra space you can use for a playroom, bedroom, or storage area. In fiction, it’s a great place to stash crazy people. In Charlotte Bronte’s book Jane Eyre, there’s a madwoman in the attic. Some attics don't even have floors that can be walked on, though — they're just empty space at the top of a house. An attic was originally called an attic storey, from the architectural term Attic order.

Definitions of attic

1. noun

   floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
   synonyms: garret, loft

   types:

   cockloft

   a small loft or garret

   hayloft, haymow, mow

   a loft in a barn where hay is stored

   type of:

   floor, level, storey, story

   a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale
2. noun

   (architecture) a low wall at the top of the entablature; hides the roof
   type of:

   wall

   an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
3. noun

   an informal term for a human head
   synonyms: bean, bonce, dome, noggin, noodle

   type of:

   human head

   the head of a human being