dome

/doʊm/

/dəʊm/

Other forms: domes

A dome is a large hemispherical roof, like those seen on many capitol buildings. The Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, is a Muslim shrine with a golden dome that sits on a holy rock.

In Italian, duomo is the word for church or cathedral; it comes from the Latin domus, "house." Many Italian cathedrals feature prominent domes, and eventually the word dome became synonymous with that particular architectural feature. An umbrella works because its dome shape sheds the rain efficiently.

Definitions of dome

1. noun

   a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
   type of:

   concave shape, concavity, incurvation, incurvature

   a shape that curves or bends inward
2. noun

   a hemispherical roof
   types:

   astrodome

   a transparent dome on top of an airplane where the navigator can make celestial observations

   cupola

   a roof in the form of a dome

   geodesic dome

   a lightweight dome constructed of interlocking polygons; invented by R. Buckminster Fuller

   onion dome

   a dome that is shaped like a bulb; characteristic of Russian and Byzantine church architecture

   pressure dome

   a dome-shaped building that is pressurized

   whispering dome, whispering gallery

   a space beneath a dome or arch in which sounds produced at certain points are clearly audible at certain distant points

   type of:

   roof

   a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
3. noun

   a stadium that has a roof
   synonyms: covered stadium, domed stadium

   type of:

   arena, bowl, sports stadium, stadium

   a large structure for open-air sports or entertainments
4. noun

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

   type of:

   human head

   the head of a human being