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Glite Dictionary
French roof

French roof

8.9
A roof with very steep sides and a flat top that gives extra attic space
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : techo francés
  • Many 19th-century homes in the city feature a French roof for extra attic space.

Examples

  • The historic mansion was renovated to preserve its distinctive French roof.

  • Many Parisian buildings feature French roofs.

  • Adding a French roof gave the building an elegant and classic appearance.

  • The house has a beautiful French roof.

  • Many 19th-century homes in the city feature a French roof for extra attic space.

  • Adding a French roof gave the building an elegant and classic appearance.

  • The historic mansion was renovated to preserve its distinctive French roof.

Synonyms

mansard
vsFrench roof
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A roof with two slopes on each side, the lower slope steeper to create extra room

is a narrower form whose lower slope makes the sides nearly vertical
mansard roof
vsFrench roof
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A roof with two slopes on each side, the lower slope steeper than the upper

is the specific form where the lower slope creates almost perpendicular sides

Surface Forms

French roof singular
French roofs plural

Morphology

French + roof

The compound plainly signals a roof associated with French style—so a B1 learner who knows 'French' and 'roof' can infer it refers to a kind of roof from/typical of France. However, the specific architectural sense (a mansard-type roof with near-vertical sides) is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents, so full meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

French roof gets its name from roofs common on old buildings in France, where the lower part of the roof is almost upright so it makes extra room in the top floor. So today French roof means 'a roof with very steep lower sides that gives more attic or top-floor space'.